Free Composting Workshops

Posted by on September 23, 2005

You may know that …

COMPOSTING is working with the forces of nature to turn fallen leaves, yard waste and fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen into humus.

Humus, well mixed into soil, makes topsoil that is easy to dig and absorbs rain.
It makes it easy for plants to absorb – slowly and steadily – the food they need to be healthy.

And it’s easy to learn how to compost. Composting can be done neatly in a small space and without problems. It is also important that City residents compost organic waste to reduce the volume of trash needlessly sent to landfills for disposal. It’s good for your plants, for your budget, and for the environment.
So — if you are not already composting, sign up for a free class and learn how.

Warm weather workshops were held in Port Richmond and Center City this summer,
and registration is now open for four fall workshops, at 215-686-5444, extension 2.

More good news —
If your Wednesday evenings are generally committed to work or a class, and that has kept you from attending, please note that we have a Thursday evening session this fall, as well as a Saturday afternoon workshop.

Please help spread the word — Please see the press release below, and feel free to forward this email in full.

The free workshops will be hosted as follows:

Northwest, Thursday, September 29, 2005, 6:30 p.m.
Awbury Arboretum, One Awbury Road, 19138

Southwest Philadelphia, Saturday, October 22, 2005, 1:30 p.m.
Anna Howard Shaw Middle School, 5400 Warrington Avenue, 19143

Northwest, Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 6:30 p.m.
Falls of Schuylkill Branch Library, 3501 Midvale Avenue, 19129

Oak Lane, Wednesday, November 16, 2005, 6:00 p.m.
Oak Lane Branch Library, 6614 N. 12th Street, 19126

Training programs are two hours long. After completing the workshop, Philadelphia residents are urged to join the Recycling through Composting Team by signing a pledge to compost yard waste and report on materials diverted from their household waste stream. Pre-registration is required, call (215) 686-5444, extension 2. Anyone is welcome to attend as a guest and receive training and a manual, but only pre-registered Philadelphia residents presenting appropriate identification will be eligible to receive a back yard composter. If demand exceeds supply, priority will be given to the earliest registrants; the date on which the workshop is held does not affect availability.

The Streets Department thanks the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for providing the composting bins, worth $85, at no cost to residents. The Streets Department is also pleased to partner with the Free Library of Philadelphia and the other nonprofit organizations hosting workshops in their communities.

Individuals, community gardens and environmentally concerned organizations interested in learning more about this program should call (215) 686-5444, then press number 2. A recording is available on that line 24 hours a day. Program information is available on-line at http://recyclingPAYS.phila.gov, and will also be available soon on the City’s Government Access Cable Channel 64.