Composting - Sailors for the Sea

Composting

 July 24, 2012  | By: Oceana

Composting is an important item on our Clean Regattas best practices list. However even many of our gold level Clean Regattas have trouble checking this one off the list. Perhaps this is because it is not as common in our homes as recycling, however when planned ahead of time, having composting at your regatta can be relatively easy. Here are some ideas on how to make composting part of your event.

Three well labeled bins at every trash center at ACWS Newport helps people separate waste.  A compost hauler, PF Trading, was hired to take food waste to Newland Farm in Norton, MA.

Find out if your municipality has composting. This information is generally just a Google search away, and if it is done by your municipality it will likely be done by the same department that handles trash (or they can point you in the right direction.)

  • If you cannot have the compost picked up by the city, look into a local farm. Whether a large commercial farm or small pick your own family farm, they usually have compost piles. Some larger farms have the ability to come to your event and pick it up for free (some gardeners call compost “black gold”)
  • Talk with your catering company. If your regatta has a catering service there is a chance they have done composting before for big events – can’t hurt to ask!
  • Set up your own composting. Depending upon the size of your sailing club or marina and how much eating is done there will dictate how big you need your operation to be. Learn some basic information about how to compost here. The compost that is made can be used to help keep the grounds of your club or marina in top shape!

Composting can also reduce the amount of waste that must be taken away by trash collectors often reducing your bill! Look for our next blog for tips on how to setup your regatta for proper separation of compostable items. Have you seen composting being done at a regatta or marina near you?