Nurturing nature

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This article was published 16/09/2023 (1129 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kristen Malec isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. As a child she learned about gardening and composting from her parents, and has been passionate about being outdoors and caring about nature ever since.

“The health of the environment has always been important to me, environmental issues always stuck with me,” said Malec, senior compost and waste reduction co-ordinator with the Green Action Centre since 2019. “As an empathetic person, I always worry when things aren’t going right. I love spreading the word so others can compost,” she added, appreciating the position that includes — along with the wide range of people she strives to educate — access to politicians, regarding policy change.

Currently the city estimates organic waste makes up about half of all residential garbage taken to the landfill, where it breaks down and turns into methane — a major contributor to climate change. A long-awaited report recommends moving forward with a citywide curbside composting program, though it could take years to fully implement.

In the meantime, Malec and everyone else at the Green Action Centre is making sure they’re doing all they can to teach people in the community how to compost.

“Fall time is a great time to harvest your compost, but to also get started composting as well,” said Malec, who has a degree in environmental sciences with a forestry focus.

The composting program offers a set of services to reduce food waste in Manitoba, which includes presentations and resources, co-ordinating on-site compost bin initiatives for schools, workplaces and multi-family residences, and hosting special events to help households and communities. Whether residing in a house with a yard or in an apartment with limited space, there are composting options available.

“Composting is nature’s way of recycling,” said Malec. “It’s something that happens naturally all the time, leaves falling to the ground, decomposition creating organic materials for the soil. Instead of going to the landfill, why not put food scraps into the garden as a natural fertilizer? It improves the soil and health of plants.

“We send a huge amount of compostable materials to our Brady Road Landfill, which is the second-highest point-source polluter of green gases in Manitoba, falling behind a fertilizer plant near Brandon. If we could divert our organic materials from the landfill, we’d have reduced the need for synthetic fertilizer. Greenhouse gases occur — there’s no oxygen present in the landfill. A certain bacteria releases methane — a very powerful greenhouse gas,” Malec said about the substance, which is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

To get started on some of the basics of composting it’s important to know what should and shouldn’t go into those bins.

On the ‘do compost’ list, Malec includes any kind of fruit or vegetable scraps (cooked or raw, even if they’re already rotting), coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves, tea bags, eggshells, leaves, straw, grass clippings — anything that’s made from a plant or paper, and even used tissues. The compost pile gets hot and bacteria is killed, though you may want to dispose of used tissues in the garbage if you’ve got COVID. Things not to compost include meat, dairy and oils, as they can get smelly and attract unwanted creatures.

Black composting bins are easy to come by and can be bought at most hardware stores. Wood composting bins can also be built fairly easily using palettes which can often be acquired for free. The Green Action Centre offers building plans on its website, with instructions on how to make your own three-section wooden bin.

For those who’d rather not commit to composting at home, there’s the option of subscribing to weekly organic waste collection services. Compost Winnipeg, a social enterprise of the Green Action Centre, has recently seen an increase in interest. Any profit beyond their operating costs go toward Green Action Centre programming to help Manitobans live greener. Their current focus is reducing organics going into the landfill, lowering emissions and educating Winnipeggers on the importance of waste diversion.

‘We are living the effects right now of our contribution to climate change,” said Malec. “We need to reduce greenhouse gases. We have issues with soil quality. We have this valuable resource. People can use it themselves, in gardens, on farms. It’s a local resource, it feeds into the circular economy with so many different benefits. It’s a resource we have that we are just wasting. I don’t want people to be scared off by composting. It’s really simple and easy to do,” Malec said of the practice which not only helps reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere but can improve soil ecology by returning nutrients to the ground.

Mick Manfield came to Canada in 1999 after a 24-year career in the British army, and is now a master composter volunteer with 16 years of teaching experience who has been experimenting with different types of composting. Having completed the composter course with the Green Action Centre, Manfield is excited about educating others.

“You’re diverting waste from the landfill, cutting down on methane gas pollution and the transport-related pollution of picking it up and taking it there. Home compost doesn’t do that. It doesn’t leach into rivers and lakes. In life we are trying to get away from chemical fertilizers,” said Manfield, pointing out that their process is one of regenerative farming, a living-soil approach to gardening.

Manfield is often called upon to demonstrate how to build different types of wooden compost bins and encourages people to learn about the various options available and how to do things the right way.

Rodents and other creatures, including wasps, are one of the biggest worries people have about adding a compost bin to their premises.

“The No. 1 reason that rodents will come is that you have put something in there that you shouldn’t have… something that the rodent is attracted to. The rodents are attracted to the smell — this is why it’s important to learn about composting correctly.”

Manfield encourages anyone interested in learning more to contact the compost info line at 204-925-3777 ext.104 or to email: compost@greenactioncentre.ca