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Waste Not, Want...Compost: Santa Monica Pilots Food Scraps Collection Program
Compost (Photo by normanack via Flickr)
Gardeners swear by their homegrown concoctions of compost, made from food scraps turned into nutrients that feed the fruits, veggies, and flowers they grow. With so much food waste going into the trashcan and not back into the earth, though, the opportunity to create compost often gets wasted along with the garbage that chokes landfills.600 single-family homes in Santa Monica located north of Montana Avenue have been approved to participate in a pilot program that will see to it food scraps are collected and turned into compost that will be available to other residents for free, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.
The Food Scraps Curbside Collection Pilot Program, which starts today, allows those in the pilot area to leave "meats, bones, dairy, bread, fruits, vegetables, egg shells, baked goods, rice, beans, pasta, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags and other plate scrapings" in a provided green bin that is left curbside and collected. The refuse is taken to "a private company specializing in commercial composting," and two weeks later comes back to City Hall in the form of compost ready for give-aways slated to be held four times a year.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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