Chicago Composting 101
/Chicago Composting 101
In the US, over 20-30% of trash that goes to the landfill is food scraps and compostable yard debris. With an average of nearly 4.5 pounds of trash a day per person, that’s 325 pounds(!) of soil material being tossed in the dump. Once that food waste is there, it slowly turns into methane, a greenhouse gas, and becomes a part of the toxic waste landfills are full of. However, thanks to the many Chicago compost services and food scrap pickup options, we can divert almost all of that food waste into healthy living soil. Urban centers are even more susceptible to food waste finding its way to the landfill. Whether you’re barbequing in Berwyn or having a Lake Shore wedding, composting in Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area means you can be a part of building a full, complete food system. When you sign up for a compost service, Chicago gets a little greener.
The Benefits of Composting
Composting in the city means helping create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban environment for you and your family. Whether it’s food scrap pickup options, wedding composting in Chicago, zero waste events, or a regular Chicago compost service, there are a plethora of ways to start closing the gaps in the food cycle. The way in is easy, and the start-up costs are low, especially when working with a long-standing company like the Urban Canopy.
Many choose to compost at home, and this is a fantastic way to get involved in the process. One of the most popular ways is vermicular composting, which involves red wiggler worms and any strong container to break down food scraps. This process, sometimes called cold composting, services Chicago in minute ways, but is highly effective. However, the process takes much longer than “hot” composting methods, and can only handle a small amount of food waste. It also doesn’t break down pesky weed seed husks. It’s a perfect option if you have a giant backyard, a lot of dedication to pull weeds, and a place to house twenty or so worm bins. But for the rest of us, it makes a lot more sense to pool our resources and take advantage of our community’s ties while building a stronger food network.
Community-Centered Composting in Chicago
This is where a composting service in Chicago comes in handy. In a single day, thousands upon thousands of pounds of food waste can be salvaged through a food scrap pickup service. Many of our neighbors choose to pool their resources to compost for a whole building, block, or condo association. Event composting in Chicago can do even more to create a more sustainable environment. With a little planning and the right composting system, almost any gathering can become a zero waste event in Chicago. While many compostable items like cutlery aren’t easily compostable with a home setup, a larger composting service in Chicago can handle just about any kind of organic material, including scraps from the grill at a Fourth of July celebration. Wedding composting in Chicago is also a cinch and simple to plan, and it means you don’t have to worry about the often serious carbon footprint a huge (and wonderful) celebration can leave.
Find the Composting Service that Fits You
From Oak Park to Evanston, we’re all looking for ways to make our lives a little more environmentally friendly. A compost service in Chicago is an easy addition to any lifestyle, no matter how hard the hustle and bustle is. Slowly add your table scraps and yard waste to an airtight bucket provided, and one of our transporters can come by once a week, biweekly, or just once a month to swap it out for a fresh bucket. This food waste gets pooled with all the rest we collect around the Chicagoland area, and it slowly becomes the carbon- and nitrogen-rich part of soil that helps sustain farms like ours in Englewood. Read more about how the Urban Canopy can kick-start your sustainable journey today!