Innovative Composting Scheme in Shorewood

The We Got Leaves Bucket Exchange is a community composting scheme offered free of charge to interested Shorewood residents. The program allows participants to deliver buckets of kitchen scraps to a single location, from which they are processed into finished compost by a master composter. We Got Leaves currently uses a large backyard compost operation and two community garden properties to compost the material collected. Data for each household is tracked so that participants can maintain an “account” record of number of contributions, total weight diverted from month to month, and CO2 savings resulting from unlandfilled organics. There are several intended program outcomes: some participants will get into the habit of source separation and may begin composing on their own; some participants will subscribe to a future curbside compost service or encourage a Village-wide composting option; some will continue to take advantage of community compost opportunities; all will learn their household disposal habits more intimately and become more aware of their waste stream.

Program Highlights to Date

• Enrollment began in September 2014; currently, 21 households participating
• 52 total Shorewood residents participating, from 1-person households to families of 5
• 1400 pounds of organics diverted from landfill in 2014, about 27 pounds per person
• Average monthly diversion is 350 pounds, which represents the CO2-equivalent of removing nearly a half a car from the road permanently
• First metric ton of organics diversion achieved in February 2014
• Illustrates a proof of concept that a market exists in Shorewood for curbside composting or some public service option targeting organics

Program Mechanics

Households line a 5-gallon or similar bucket with a paper grocery bag and begin source separating kitchen trimmings. All participants are advised on acceptable items: fruit and vegetable peelings, egg shells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, nut shells, dry grains, etc. Participants exchange full buckets for empty ones on operator’s front porch, leaving a note indicating name and date of delivery. Buckets are then weighed and logged by household and date of contribution. Organic residuals are emptied into large compost bins (4 cubic feet) and mixed with raked leaves or other brown, fibrous material. The compost process is actively managed. Later, finished compost will be harvested and offered to participants free of charge on a similar self-haul model

Lessons Learned So Far

Shorewood is ready for some sort of organized compost program. The WGL Bucket Exchange targets motivated households who are willing to source separate and even haul heavy buckets but for whatever reason will not or don’t yet compost on their own. Some participants will likely graduate to backyard composting once they realize that processing it on site themselves is even easier than delivering it to a neighbor’s porch. The program appeals to many empty nesters, condo and apartment dwellers, or busy families who lack the time or space to compost on their own. People tend to appreciate the tidiness of someone else handling the compost but acknowledge the ethical or environmental value of keeping organics out of landfills.

Program Operator

We Got Leaves is a neighborhood-based compost consultancy run by master composter and Kompost Kids board member Josh Liberatore. Services include site analysis, bin construction and design, compost system installation and maintenance, compost troubleshooting, organics hauling logistics, and municipal advocacy. Learn more at wegotleaves.wordpress.com.