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New Community Compost Kiosk Comes To Bloomington-Normal

In 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency reported methane emissions made up 10% of greenhouse gases.

Composting just got a whole lot easier in Bloomington-Normal.

The Ecology Action Center’s new community compost kiosk is more inclusive than your average backyard-composting setup. 

“It really does allow for any food scrap waste. Ordinarily, backyard-composting people cannot compost meats, dairy, bones, high fats and proteins. Really backyard-composting can only sustain vegetable peelings, apple cores, banana peels, coffee grounds and eggshells,” said Michael Brown, executive director of the Action Center (EAC) in Normal. “Whereas this program can really take any food scraps whatsoever because it is an industrial composting program.”

Industrial compost can more vigorously sustain the temperature and stability of the compost.

“Temperatures are really high, which really helps to break down more complex material,” said Brown.

Brown said residents have contacted EAC with concerns about the abundance of takeout containers being used by restaurants, who--once again--are only open for carryout and outdoor dining because of a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. 

“If we can encourage restaurants to instead transition to compostable containers certified by BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute), people with access to the community composting service can do takeout in a more sustainable way,” said Brown. 

Some commercially BPI-registered compost items residents can drop off include paper bags, paper towels, paper napkins and soiled cardboard. All of these products are biodegradable.

This has been a long priority for McLean County and Bloomington-Normal.

“We do know from analysis that about 12% of the waste generated in our community is food scraps, and only about 3% of that 12% is composted,” said Brown. 

Food is the largest single source of waste in the U.S. More food ends up in landfills than plastic or paper. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 20% of what goes into municipal landfills is food.

Brown said food scraps wasted and not composted can generate a “very potent” greenhouse gas: methane.

But composting enriches soil with nutrients that ultimately encourages growth. According to the EPA, composting helps retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. 

Composting also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and produces beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. 

So how do residents get access to the new community compost kiosk? 

The program will be fee-based and residents can sign up for the service through the purchase of a Kiosk Starter Kit for $20.99. The Starter Kit includes a five-gallon bucket, educational materials, a 30-pack of compostable liners and your kiosk access card.

The kiosk program is taking donations that will allow it to expand to a Compost Kiosk at a second Bloomington-Normal location in the near future. Donations can be written off as tax deductibles. 

EAC hopes to announce the formal launch of BN Community Composting in the next few weeks.

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