Rocket LaunchLong Beach

Island Consolidated

School DistrictAngela C. Andersen

Long Beach Township Recycling Coordinator and

Co –author of State Farm Grant

Rocket Composter has landed at EJ

Long Beach Island Consolidated School District received funding from State Farm

Partners in Grant Writing: LBICSD Teacher /LBT Green Team Chairperson

Student focused project in waste reduction and community development

What is the rocket composter?

LBICSD “Kids for Compost? slogan”

Short Term goal:Integrate food waste composting within the

school

Long Term Goal: Expand to families, residents, community

Partnerships with community: 1> “composting outreach” links the community to

the school compost program

2> Providing backyard compost education for families ( through units like the “earth machine”

LBT at LBIF

What is Compost?

COMPOSTING: the process of turning once living organisms into rich soil (humus) food waste> soil enhancer

HUMUS/COMPOST: finished compost is dark brown, crumbly, and smells like a forest floor

Single Stream-reduce –reuse- recycle – foodcyling…

County “yard waste” composting- everything but kitchen sink

Ocean County Stats

Ocean County Landfill, Corp. Solid Waste

2010-

Ranging from $ 71.21-$102.65 per ton Ocean County Single Stream Recycling

2010 - 55,235 tons – saved $ 4 million in tonnage fees

Ocean County yard waste Compost

Brush- 7048.62 tons ( as of 11/30/11)

Leaves-9876.62 tons ( as of 11/30/11)

Food Waste- the next frontier

County vs. Backyard vs. Rocket Composting

County: accepts leaves for composting and brush for wood chips ( which will go in the Rocket)

Backyard: Kitchen scraps veggie, fruit, coffee, tea, nuts and yard trimmings ( no meat or bones)

Rocket: food scraps including leftovers, plate scrapings, meat, bones, eggs, bread, rice, kitchen scraps

Environmental, Educational and Economic Benefits Reduces school food waste, garden debris and the

expense to haul it to dump.

Reduces “carbon footprint” (e.g., less garbage, so less to landfills = less methane emissions from landfills; e.g., fewer garbage trucks and pickups = less CO2 emitted, less pollution) (insert pic of pollution)

Reduces water use in gardens ( aerated healthy soil)

Improves community recycling efforts

Provides sustainability education and outreach to our community members

Enhances curriculum with real world learning of eco issues

Sustainable Community Benefits of Compost

Compost use: school, home, community/municipal locations

Benefits for the land and water: soilconditioner, a fertilizer, a natural pesticide ( heartier plants) insert pics

**In ecosystems, compost is useful for increasing soil health and drainage, rainwater recharge and runoff /erosion control**