community compost handout

This handout covers what a community compost co-op is and how to get involved. Community Composting aims to fill the “missing middle” between home composting and municipal composting: Compost pick-up services can be expensive and don’t exist in most parts of New Mexico. Home composting can be challenging in our arid environment and not everyone has the space for it. In order to make composting more accessible, New Mexico Compost Coalition (NMCC) members, including the City of Albuquerque, are launching seven Community Compost Co-ops across the state. Two of the bins are located within Albuquerque at Barelas Senior Center and North Valley Senior Center. What is inovlved? MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES After an initial training session, you can join the compost cooperative. Once a month, members spend about one hour managing the bins under guidance of a local compost captain, which is time to socialize in addition to caring for and applying the compost. MEMBER BENEFITS Finished compost will be shared between the co-located community gardens and co-op members for use in their home gardens or landscaping. The biggest benefit is saving food and green waste from being wasted, which avoids harmful methane emissions from landfills, and creates healthy soil—all while learning and having fun with your neighbors! HOW TO PARTICIPATE BARELAS SENIOR CENTER 505-764-6436 714 7th St SW, 87102 NORTH VALLEY SENIOR CENTER 505-761-4025 3825 4th St NW, 87107 OR Contact Compost Captain & Sustainable Waste Specialist Sandra West at [email protected]