ReWild Long Island and East Hampton Town have launched an initiative to encourage backyard composting by taking advantage of a “flash sale” on compost bins and expert support.
Residents can join the Backyard Compost Crew by ordering a compost bin by midnight next Thursday at easthampton.compostersale.com and collecting it on July 26 between 2 and 5 p.m. at the Town Hall parking lot. Local “compost coaches” will be on site, and participants can learn about native plants, pollinator-friendly gardening, food scrap dropoff options, and ReWild community gardens.
Accessories and a rain barrel are also available at discounted prices at that same website. Those unable to pick up their order on July 26 have been asked to email [email protected] to arrange an alternative.
Food scraps and other organic waste are the largest component of municipal solid waste in landfills in the United States, comprising around a quarter of the total. Food waste in landfills contributes to the production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
ReWild Long Island offers drop-off locations for food scraps at Amber Waves in Amagansett on Wednesdays from 8 to 11 a.m., the Springs Farmers Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until September, the Montauk Community Garden on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until noon, and the Sag Harbor Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until noon through Oct. 25.
Backyard composting, Gloria Frazee of ReWild Long Island told the town board on Tuesday, decreases “the amount of mileage we’re putting onto compost” by vehicle trips to drop-off locations. Composting on one’s property allows people to “integrate more closely into the cycle that we’re involved with,” she said, “from our plates to compost to the soil and to organic vegetables and fruits, and then back onto our plates, so you’re really participating in this entire cycle.”
Composting feeds gardens, helps pollinators, and fights climate change, she said. “You can make the difference.”
For those new to composting, there are educational videos at easthampton.compostersale.com.
