C’mon and compost

Everybody wins when Kahnawake diverts organic waste from landfill, but for the month of May, your triumph could be a little more literal.

That’s because the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Waste Management department has declared May as Compost Awareness Month, with draws held every Friday to award a $25 Shop Kahnawake gift certificate to a lucky community member.

“In order to get more people to participate in our compost collection, we wanted to do a participation draw, just an incentive for people to keep composting,” said Iotshatenawi Reed, communications liaison for Waste Management.

There’s no need to enter the draw. Taking part is as easy as putting out your compost bin – a numbered ticket will be attached to all the bins when organic waste is collected. Those who don’t yet have a bin to put out can pick one up, along with a kitchen capture, from Waste Management.

“We give them the whole rundown of information. Also, since it’s Compost Awareness Month, we give them little tips on why it’s good to compost,” Reed said.

May 4-10 is recognized internationally as Compost Awareness Week this year, with communities everywhere encouraging people to embrace the practice. However, Waste Management decided to take it a step further this year and use the whole month to get the word out, starting May 5.

“It’s good for our soil. It’s good for our food. It’s taking food waste out of the landfills, so there’s many benefits of composting,” Reed said. Sending food to landfill not only crams existing dumps, which are reaching capacity, but also creates carbon dioxide emissions, she noted. These gases contribute to human-driven climate change by trapping heat and warming the atmosphere.

Backyard composting is also effective, Reed said, although only those participating in the community’s program are eligible for the draw.

While many people were initially skeptical of composting, Reed said, the department has seen more people embrace the service as time has gone on.

“I feel like it’s going up every single year as more and more people start participating and asking more questions,” she said. “In the beginning people were like ‘no, it’s going to get stinky, it’s going to bring in bugs, it’s going to bring in critters.’”

That has changed, she said, as people have learned how to manage compost effectively, such as putting out the bin even when there’s not much in it.

“I find when they really learn how to do it, we get more participation and more people to compost with us. It’s more like the tips and tricks, that’s what we give people,” Reed said.

Besides a shot at winning a prize, another benefit for those who participate in the program is that they have first dibs on the soil it produces.

“This year our soil is amazing. I know a lot of people come and ask for some,” said Reed.

In the future, Waste Management plans to expand the facility, said Reed, which would permit people to compost more items, such as meat and dairy, that cannot currently be accommodated. For now, foods like grains, eggshells, coffee grounds, and fruit and vegetable waste can be accommodated. A full list of accepted items can be obtained from Waste Management.

Not all communities are so fortunate, Reed said.

“It’s awesome that our community has this right at our fingertips,” Reed said of the composting program. “Most communities don’t have that and they’re actually looking at us to gather more information on how we do our compost. We’re pretty much almost leading the pack for other communities.”

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter