Contributed by Helen Venada,
Waste Reduction and Hazardous Waste Coordinator,
San Juan County Solid Waste Division

Learn to recycle naturally at a free workshop this Saturday.

The workshop is from 1:15 to 3:45 p.m. at the Orcas Senior Center in Eastsound. It is sponsored by the San Juan County Solid Waste Division, WSU Extension Master Gardeners, WSU Ag Program, and San Juan Islands Conservation District with funding from the WA Department of Ecology.

Participants can learn how to compost food and yard waste to build healthy, productive soil with improved water-holding capacity.

Plus, they will learn how to manage brush piles as wildlife habitat, and can purchase composters at reduced cost.

Reasons for composting:

  • Composting is nature’s recycling system……easy and convenient once you learn the science and art of it!
  • You can save money on your trash disposal bill.
  • You won’t have to bag up your yard waste to take to the solid waste facility.
  • Composting saves landfill space and reduces methane (a corrosive greenhouse gas).
  • Composting turns your yard and kitchen waste into a free soil amendment for your plants.
  • Burning leaves and brush produces air pollution…so why not add them to your compost instead?

Participants are asked to bring their own refreshments. This will be a “Zero Waste” event, so choose reusable or recyclable materials, or take back unrecyclable trash. Appropriate food scraps will be collected to feed the worms.

Contact 370-0503 for more information.