Great backyard composting challenge
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Project Description
Our Big Question: How much food waste could we keep out of the landfill if more of us used backyard composters instead? To answer that question we are enrolling 80 local households in a 10-week “citizen science” project, March 9 – May 18, 2024.
Each selected household will weigh and share data about its total food diversion weekly. Boxerwood will post this data anonymously on its project webpage. We will use this information to better understand the impact of diverting food waste with backyard composting. Your new compost kit (and our weekly tips) will also give you a way to start protecting the Earth right here at home.
March 9 – May 18
10 week backyard challenge program
80 households
Participating in a citizen science study.
Deadline: March 1
You will be notified about your participation status by March 4.
Selected Participants
Pick Up
Composter kit (the Earth Machine, pail, hand luggage scale) from Boxerwood on the weekend of March 9-10
Assemble & Install
Assemble (simple) and install the composter in a level piece of yard. The 80-gallon Earth Machine composter is closed to animals and safe for urban use. NOTE: it is not bear proof. It is a slow composter; tending it is optional.
weigh & record
Weigh and record the weight of the food waste you take to your composter each time, using the pail and hand scale provided.
Share
Upload your week’s total on a project form on the Boxerwood website every Saturday.
Complete Survey
Complete a simple pre&post survey about your experience with this project.
Keep Composting ... or not
Keep the composter kit ($150 retail value) at the end of the project if you plan to continue composting. If not, return it to Boxerwood.
Eligibility
All local residents may participate in the study, but the compost kits are given ONLY for households not currently diverting food waste or composting. We will offer compost kits to a total of 40 households in Lexington City and 40 households in Rockbridge and Buena Vista. You do not need to know how to compost. You do need to be able to weigh, carry, and empty your food waste pail into the composter.
Selection
We will contact you by March 4, 2024 to let you know whether we were able to offer you a kit for this project. Priority goes to households with children. Other households will be selected by lottery.
Questions?
Contact Catherine Epstein
catherine@boxerwood.org