WAPAKONETA, Ohio (WLIO) - For many, composting is a simple concept that's often overlooked.
"It's so basic - it's taking away something that is just wasted in a landfill, and we're turning it into something that's valuable," said Heather Walbright, advisor for the Wapakoneta Waste Minimization Committee. "We're diverting from the landfill and returning it into a usable product."
This simple idea is now becoming a reality in Wapakoneta. Three composting bins will be installed at the city's recycling center to accept food scraps and organic waste for an initial six-month trial. The composting service GoZERO is an Ohio-based company providing weekly pick up and cleaning at the new bins. They currently work with over two dozen communities in Ohio.
"The go-to data point that I like to talk about is that for every 22 pounds of material we're able to collect, we take a day's worth of driving emissions our of the atmosphere," said David Andre, founder and executive director for GoZERO Composting Services. "With the drop-off stations especially, impact can be counted in pounds of material collected, but also people who are aware and educated just a little bit more about what a cool thing composting is and how it can really move the needle in terms of really improving the environment and our communities."
The service will cost $135 a week for the six-month trial. If the city chooses to implement it full time, it will cost about $7,000 a year. Proponents believe diverting food waste from the landfill can actually save the city money.
"There's a lot of cost involved to dispose of our waste at the landfill, and all of that is done by weight," Walbright said. "Food waste is not only the largest stream from a volume perspective, but it's also the heaviest."
"Recycling is a double-edged sword; it's not always economically feasible, but then again, it is a way of dealing with things we don't need anymore in a responsible manner, so I'm all for it," said Chuck Niemeyer, a Wapakoneta resident.
Besides food scraps, some things you may not expect are compostable, like paper towels, pizza boxes, and even certain plastics. The bins are expected to be out and ready for use by September 1st. Before then, the Wapakoneta Waste Minimization Committee will be holding events to inform residents more about the composting process and what items are acceptable.
