What Should You Do With Pizza Boxes?

Green Living is the Life For Me!

Pizza. Everybody loves it, but what do you do with the boxes when your done? Trash? Cardboard Recycling?  NC State has started a program where the students are sorting their boxes and putting them in a special dumpster to compost them. 

Find out more with my interview with Lauren McKinnis, Outreach Coordinator for Waste Reduction and Recycling at NC State.

According to McKinnis, since the program began in March, they have composted 1600 pizza boxes. There are currently two pizza box dumpsters with hopes of adding more in the future. The program is a collaboration with University Housing, Waste Reduction and Recycling as well as various student groups including the EcoVillage in Bragraw Hall.

Before

After (photo by Lauren McKinnis)

Directions / Info Posted on Pizza Box Dumpster

More pictures can be found on the EcoVillage Facebook page 

It's clear to me that this is a great solution that needs to be shared with other colleges and universities as a great way to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills as well as cardboard being rejected for recycling due to contamination.

Other Resources on Composting

North Carolina Council on Composting

Brooks Composting

Compost Now

Zero Waste Alliance

BioCycle Net

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Rick
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@apexgardner (Twitter)
http://apexlazydogblog.blogspot.com/

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Worms + Composting = Vermicomposting

Green Living is the Life For Me!

My wife and I just invested in the Worm Factory 360 and 1000 Red Wigglers to start our own vermicomposting.   Our hope is be able to compost our old newspaper and food scraps and turn them into richer fertilizer for our expanded garden this year and become more sustainable in the process.

 

"Worm poop is gold!" according to Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Microbes. Lowenfels goes on to explain that soil a worm digests is suddenly 5 times richer in nitrogen, 10 times richer in potassium, has 7 times more phosphate, 1.5 times as much calcium and 3 times the magnesium. (Taken from Forward to The Complete Guide to Vermicomposting with the Worm Factory 360)

Photos from our Worm Farm Installation

Opening up the package of worms

Starter compost for the worms

Adding the Red Wrigglers

Checking on the worms progress and temperature

Our cost for the Worm Factory 360 was a little over $110 and $20 for 1000 Red Wrigglers to get us started.

Look for updates to our experience in future posts on this blog.

References and Resources

FindWorms.com

North Carolina Extension website on Vermicomposting 

How Stuff Works Article on Vermicomposting 

Vermicomposting.com 

 

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Rick
apexgardner@gmail.com
@apexgardner (Twitter)
http://apexlazydogblog.blogspot.com/

http://apexgardner.deviantart.com/ 

http://greenlivingisthelifeforme.blogspot.com/ 

NC Adopt A Highway Program with Apex United Methodist Church

Green Living is the Life For Me!

 

Once each quarter, the Apex United Methodist Church participates in the North Carolina Adopt A Highway program and cleans up a total of two miles of road north and south of downtown Apex. Afterwards, I spoke with Chris Finch the organizer about the program.

Photos From Adopt A Highway Clean Up

Sign recognizing our group

Instructions and dividing up into teams

Everyone gets bright orange vest, gloves, trash & recycling bags

Close up of back on reflective vest

Cyclist passing us as we pick up trash

Wrapping things up!

Group photo of crew handling North end of highway

Final tally...Nine bags of trash and six bags of recycling.  Additionally, we received thanks from several neighbors as well as cyclists on their morning ride.

References and Resources

North Carolina's Department of Transportation Adopt A Highway Program

North Carolina's Report a Litterbug Program

86it.com

Thanks for checking out my blog and clicking on my sponsors!


Rick
apexgardner@gmail.com
@apexgardner (Twitter)
http://apexlazydogblog.blogspot.com/

http://apexgardner.deviantart.com/ 

http://greenlivingisthelifeforme.blogspot.com/