Newfoundland and Labrador celebrates Compost Awareness Week

Compost Awareness Week is May 7-13 and the Department of Environment and Conservation and MMSB encourages all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to participate in composting activities at home, work, and school to reduce the amount of waste entering our landfills. To coincide with Compost Awareness Week, the MMSB is relaunching its backyard composting campaign with their own theme It�s Time to Pitch In!

Every day in Newfoundland and Labrador 300 tonnes of organic waste is thrown in our local dump sites. Organic waste makes up 30 per cent of our household garbage. That�s far too much to ignore. Compost Awareness Week is designed to educate the general public about the benefits of composting, and how to start and maintain your own compost bin.

Last fall the MMSB launched its backyard composting program with the overall goal of reducing the amount of organic waste going to landfills. The two-year goal of the program is to increase participation in backyard composting by 50 per cent. This will result in 20,000 new households in our province participating in backyard composting. The MMSB is very pleased to report that sales exceeded all expectations. In the first three months, almost 10,000 compost bins were distributed and sold throughout the province. The MMSB therefore extended its backyard compost program and made an additional investment in compost bins to meet the demand this spring.

During the development stage MMSB invited all municipalities, regional waste management committees and various other community-based organizations to partner in the implementation of the program. MMSB was pleased with the response from communities, and some communities even chose to further subsidize compost bins for sale and distribution to their residents. Additional communities continue to join the program.

"The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is working diligently to implement programs that will result in a reduced amount of waste being generated in our province," said Clyde Jackman, Minister of Environment and Conservation. "We will continue to implement modern waste management practices and move the province one step closer to achieving its waste management goals."

"We invite any municipality who has not yet partnered with us to do so this spring and make a valuable contribution towards diverting 2,000 tonnes of organic waste from our landfills annually," said John Scott, chair and CEO of MMSB. "Composting is easy and the end result is rich soil for use in flower beds, vegetable gardens and on lawns. Together we can make a valuable contribution towards diverting organic waste from our landfills."

Residents are encouraged to participate in activities that promote composting this week. MUN Botanical Gardens is offering free compost demonstrations throughout the week. To find out more about composting or to order your own compost bin, call MMSB at 1-866-371-5559. You really can make a difference in reducing organic waste in your own backyard.

MMSB is a provincial Crown agency that reports to the Minister of Environment and Conservation. MMSB supports modern waste management practices in the province, with a particular focus on waste diversion, recycling and public education, in order to ensure a clean and healthy environment throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Media contact:

Deborah Slade, Communications, MMSB, (709) 753-0949
Diane Hart, Communications, Environment and Conservation, (709) 729-2575, 685-4401

BACKGROUND

Participating municipalities involved in the backyard composting program include:

Holyrood, Portugal Cove-St.Phillips, Port aux Basques, Stephenville, Placentia, Old Perlican,

Carbonear, St. Lawrence, Woody Point, Steady Brook, Cottlesville, Birchy Bay, Harbour Breton, Appleton, Gander, Lewisporte, Eastport, Colliers, Grand Falls-Windsor, Come by Chance, Embree, Adams Cove, Random Island, Cambellton, Ramea, Gambo, Mcivers, Cape St. George, Victoria, Norris Arm North, Glenwood, St. George's, Port Blanford, Sandgrinham, and Arnolds Cove.

2006 05 10                            9:45 a.m.