UCE Composting Remains “Open for Business”

Did you know that (even in the midst of the pandemic) many UCE members continue to participate in the “UCE Composting Coop?” Since we are eating at home more and, thus, have greater control over our food waste, composting becomes even easier to integrate into our daily lives. But, does composting really make a difference? Consider the following statistics:

• Food scraps that go to landfills decompose “anaerobically,” releasing methane gas in the process. Methane is around 30% more damaging than CO2 over the long-term and 80 times more damaging over the short-term!
• The EPA estimates that 22% of what goes into landfills is food waste. Food waste is the single largest material sent to landfills.
• The average American wastes a pound of food a day – that comes to 150,000 tons of food per day across the U.S. Not surprisingly, healthier diets rich in fresh produce and minimally processed ingredients are associated with higher levels of food waste.
• According to the Composting Council, if everyone in the United States composted all of their food waste, the impact would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road!

This is where composting can help. Food scraps that are commercially composted are given the right environment to biodegrade and thus do not contribute to methane gas production. Rather, composted food scraps are turned into rich, organic soil treatment.

The cost to participate in UCE’s Composting Coop is only $60 per person per year (up to a $180 maximum per household.) Or, if you live in Evanston, you might choose to participate during the winter months only (December-March) for $20 per person for the full four months, up to a $60 maximum per household. (This four-month program is especially designed for Evanston residents who compost food scraps in their Evanston yard waste containers during the non-winter months.)

If you are interested in signing up for either service, fill out the UCE composting signup form. For an additional $10, Collective Resource (the commercial composter we use) will provide you with a kitchen counter composting bucket. (Please do not include the $10 in your payment to UCE but rather contact Erlene Howard of Collective Resource at erlene.k.howard@gmail.com to make separate arrangements.)

See the Composting Tip Sheet for more information on how to set up your kitchen for composting and for a listing of what is/is not compostable. The green composting bin(s) are located at the southeast end of the church parking lot. Just drive in and deposit your weekly composting (no plastic bags; however, paper or other compostable bags are fine.) If there are two green composting bins, please fill up one completely before using the second. The FAQ page of the Composting Tip Sheet should answer most questions, but if not, email Renee Hoff at rdhoff99@yahoo.com.