Composting - how to separate - Sailors for the Sea

Composting – how to separate

 August 30, 2012  | By: Oceana

Once you have figured out where to take your compost (see our first composting blog) you will need to figure out how to separate the compost and how to encourage others to do so. Here are a few tips to keep the compost out of the trash.

  •  Figure out what kind of waste your compost can handle. Some can only take uncooked vegetable scraps, others can handle meat scraps, and a very hot compost can break down napkins and biodegradable plastics.

A great example of well labeled bins from the America’s Cup World Series in San Francisco. (Click to zoom in)

  • Label your bins! If possible make your compost bins a different color than trash and recycling. Use symbols and short descriptions for what is able to be put into the compost. This is important as no one wants to have to search through compost to remove all of the napkins.
  • Share the information! If you are adding composting to your yacht club or marina for the season, share this information in your newsletter, on your club bulletin board, and/or through your social media outlets. If you are doing this for a regatta draw people’s attention to the composting bins during the skippers meeting and in the notice of race. Many people do not compost at home so it won’t be second nature like recycling.
  •  During a large regatta with many people who are not from the club (and not used to the composting) have a member of your green team near the waste bins. They do not need to scrape others plates, but having a knowledgeable person who can help decipher the symbols quickly will make your composting efforts more successful.
  • Whether they are temporary for an event or there every day, it is important to educate the kitchen staff. The kitchen produces a lot of food waste and having proper bins and knowledge in the kitchen can be a huge step in reducing your waste. (If you want to try composting, but are not ready to get the whole marina or club involved this can be a great place to test it out)
  • Measure your success! Before your compost goes off to the farm weigh it. Every pound is helping the earth rather that going to a land fill. Share this news and congratulate all those who helped make it happen! Let us know: Have you seen composting done at a large event outside of a farm?