Benefits Local Government Authorities, residents and the environment
Options for Home Composting Programs
We work with Local Government Authorities in a variety of ways and on various levels of involvement. Specific programs always reflect specific local needs. Programs offered include direct sales of the Earth Machine to Local Government Authorities, “pre-order & pick-up” sales and truckload sales on a single day, in some cases consisting of the sale of thousands of Earth Machines and companion products such as the kitchen collector and compost turner.
This is the most effective and perhaps the most immediate way to attract the largest number of participants. In municipalities where subsidy money has been available, whether through grants or budgeting, we have been able to offer the Earth Machine at a great savings to residents, resulting in high participation, hence leading to greater waste diversion.
Why a Truckload Sale?
The primary objective of the Compost Bin Truckload Sale Event is to significantly increase your present backyard composting participation rate in a one day period while saving you valuable time and money.
Our program accomplishes the following:
• Maximises resident participation.
• Minimises requirements for municipal funds.
• Minimises the cost per unit to residents.
This approach:
• Creates a sense of urgency to motivate procrastinators.
• Clearly indicates to your residents the outstanding value of the purchase.
• Maximises awareness of availability.
• Minimises distribution/delivery costs.
Residents are encouraged to come on a "first come, first served, while supplies last" basis, to purchase or receive composting bins. This creates a perception of urgency and prevents residents from putting off composting to a future date.
Large-scale participation at Compost Bin Truckload Sale Events allows residents to purchase bins at a low cost, and also serves to focus the community on backyard composting. These kinds of promotions have a proven track record of strong economic payback for the community, as well as a strong political and environmental impact.
"The multitudes of people moved quickly through the organised lines. The most impressive thing about the sale was the number of folks who showed up and confessed to not knowing a thing about composting." Clark County, Washington U.S.A.
Promotion
An effective advertising strategy is essential to create not only awareness, but interest in composting and to the success of the truckload sale as a whole.
By thoroughly researching paid advertising opportunities, the Compost Bin Truckload Sale Event Program offers various effective ways of getting the word out about the event and creating awareness about the importance and value of composting.
Samples of event promotion are newspaper inserts, local handout flyers, radio advertising, and public service announcements to promote the event.
It is important not to neglect the options that offer free publicity and promotion. Free advertising can be just as, if not more effective than paid advertising but the combination of both will result in high awareness and optimal resident participation. The following are ways of getting the word out:
Earth Machine samples provided to councils with plastic brochure holder and flyers to be placed in high pedestrian traffic areas i.e. Libraries, Shopping Centres, Pedestrian Malls, Waste Disposal Facilities.
Community Workshops, Garden Shows, Environmental workshops.
Public Service Announcements on the radio, T.V., community section of local newspaper
Compost bin event advertised through Community services announcements on local radio and television channels - Community Calendar
Notify Gardening Clubs, Recycling Associations, Horticultural Societies, Churches etc. about TLS event – have postings and flyers available
Flyer distribution
Event details on Council webpage
Media Kits
Source Separation Systems are able to provide media kits via e-mail to forward to local media outlets and for use by the Council. These media kits contain public service announcements, press releases, fact sheet, letters to gardening clubs, graphics of the Earth Machine, educational images and sample newspaper articles on past compost bin truck load sales. Making use of the information contained in the media kits will not only enhance promotion of the compost bin sale but also create an overall awareness of the importance of composting and reducing waste.
Where We’ve Been
We've helped over3000 Local Government Authorities across North America and internationally distribute and implement backyard composting programs.
This option is available when a council or organisation would like to offer bins to the residents but does not feel there is potential for a Compost Bin Truckload Sale Event. We will work with you to determine the best way to notify residents of the opportunity, usually flyers or a newspaper campaign. The council sets a resident pick-up date, collects the pre-order forms and money, and notifies us of the number of bins required. Bins are then shipped to a central location for the distribution.
Why a Pre-Order & Pick Up Program?
This option is available when a council would like to offer bins to its residents where the size of the community is less than 30,000 single family households. The participation rate under this scenario is usually 3 to 5%, however, much higher rates have been achieved when funding is available and when there is high council/grass roots support (e.g. notification to garden clubs, recycling associations, council newsletter, etc.)
Program Dynamics: Black and white flyers with cut-off order forms are distributed community-wide through local newspapers and include all particulars: order deadline, pick up location and date, etc. A sample Earth Machine with point-of-purchase display is provided for placement within your council chambers to increase awareness. Also, a media kit is provided as a tool with which to generate free publicity from local media, newsletter, etc. There is a designated period of approximately three weeks for residents to submit their order forms and payment. The council informs Source Separation Systems at least two weeks prior to the pick up date of the quantity required. Residents then bring their receipts to the pick up location to obtain their Earth Machine.
Let us know how many bins you would like and we will quote a price, including delivery. Promotion
and selling are the responsibility of the council and delivery can be accomplished within one week. This works well in areas where a quality composter can be offered to participants in ongoing composting education programs or where there is a home delivery program by the council or a facility in which the compost bins can be stored and picked up by residents.
Home composting is a viable, practical and effective component of solid waste management benefiting the council by reducing landfilling and collection costs, benefiting the environment by diverting waste, and benefiting the resident by making compost resulting in healthier lawns and gardens.
Benefits for the Council
Local Government Authorities bear the responsibility for collecting and processing solid waste; home composting reduces the amount of materials that must be collected, transported to a central facility, and disposed or otherwise processed. An average of 470 Kg. of kitchen and garden waste can be diverted per year per household. Home composting is the most cost effective waste management option available.
Automatic Diversion Calculation
Diverting more than 470 Kg of organic matter from the waste stream each year converts to real dollars saved in trash collection and disposal costs as these expenses are much higher than the cost for encouraging residents to compost at home. Return on investment can be realised within months, not years.
“Since our first event in April 2006, 3000 compost bins are in use throughout Leon County,representing approximately 975 tons of waste being diverted from the landfill annually! Based on this, we will see a return on investment in compost bin truckload sales in just over 1 year...” Adam Schlachter, Leon County Recycling Coordinator
Board of County Commissioners
301 South Monroe, St. Tallahassee FL
PORTLAND METRO, OR
“Based on assumptions that households divert about 225 Kg of food and garden waste per bin, the bins will last 10 years ... 88% of bin purchasers are still using their bins after 3 years, we get a cost of $25 per ton diverted (including costs to household and to Metro). This compares to a cost of $125 per ton for kerbside collection of garden waste (there are no other options for food scraps).” Steve Apotheker, Senior Recycling Policy Analyst
Waste Reduction, Planning & Outreach
Metro
600 NE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR
Environmental Benefits of Composting and using the Earth Machine™
If you make compost at home with garden waste and kitchen scraps it’s not only free but it contributes significantly to improving the health of our environment! This is because gases are produced when organic material, such as grass clippings, leaves and food scraps are decomposing. If the organic material is decomposed in a well-managed, aerated (plenty of air circulating) compost heap or bin, healthy compost will be made and the gas produced will be carbon dioxide. However, if the kitchen and garden waste is sitting in an anaerobic (no oxygen), soggy compost bin, or buried in a landfill, it will decay to produce methane gas and a smelly sludge is produced.
Both methane and carbon dioxide are greenhouse gases, but methane has a Global Warming Potential of 21 times that of carbon dioxide. The Australian Greenhouse Office states "food or garden waste that breaks down with no fresh air generates three to four times more greenhouse gas than it would if it decayed in the presence of air – aerobically."
The decay of a family's food and garden waste generates almost one tonne of greenhouse gas each year. Domestic wastes in landfill contribute 6% of greenhouse gases- this is more than the common target for reducing greenhouse emissions- lighting our homes (4%) and nearly as much as heating and cooling our houses (8%).
By composting our own garden and kitchen wastes in an aerated compost heap or bin, the carbon dioxide that is produced will be less harmful to the environment than the methane that would be generated from that same waste going to landfill.
Composting:
Improves soil health and fertility
Reduces landfilling which reduces methane gases
Composting prevents wind and water erosion by increasing the availability of water and nutrients to plants resulting in rapid, strong plant growth in areas prone to erosion
Improves soil porosity
Improves water-holding capacity resulting in reduced dependency on watering
With education and encouragement from the municipality, residents will make composting easy and routine by using the Earth Machine™. Residents will be empowered with the knowledge that they are an essential part of their community’s waste diversion efforts.
Benefits from using the Earth Machine™
Helps retain water
Improves drainage
Encourages worms
Encourages helpful micro-flora and fauna to colonise your garden beds
Provides excellent soil amendment for a healthier garden, lawn and house plants
Home Composting Handbook included with each Earth Machine
Takes as little as 10 minutes a week
Reduces use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides
Why a Home Composting Program with Norseman and Source Separation Systems?
Experience
We have developed an internal infrastructure of trained and experienced employees, dedicated only to One-Day Compost Bin Truckload Sale Events with over 15 years of experience in planning, promoting, and managing over 3000 successful community home composting programs across North America and the world.
“For the past nine years the City of Madison, Dane County and several smaller communities in our region have partnered with Norseman Plastics on a home compost bin sale. In that time we have sold over 16,500 compost bins. We have been very pleased with the range of services offered us by Norseman Plastics... site coordination and bin deliveries are well organised and operate very smoothly. Prior to our association with Norseman, the City of Madison sold or gave away several different types of compost bins. The Earth Machine has proven to be the most popular with our residents.” George P. Dreckmann, Recycling Coordinator
City of Madison Department of Public Works, WI
When homeowners are encouraged to divert organics from the waste stream and receive education by their local governments about proper composting practices, high resident participation rates in composting can be realised thereby diverting up to 50% of organic waste from the waste stream.
Local Governments that are active in Home Composting Programs implement public education and outreach programs to encourage homeowners to compost.
“Master Composter Programs” – compost specialist who trains a group of volunteers who then educate community on proper composting techniques
Home composting programs are an increasingly popular residential source reduction program option.* * United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPA530-R-97-002
The primary objective of the Compost Bin Truckload Sale Event is to significantly increase your present backyard composting participation rate in a one day period while saving you valuable time and money.
Residents are encouraged to come on a "first come, first served, while supplies last" basis, to purchase or receive composting bins. This creates a perception of urgency and prevents residents from putting off composting to a future date.
“For the past nine years the City of Madison, Dane County and several smaller communities in our region have partnered with Norseman Plastics on a home compost bin sale. In that time we have sold over 16,500 compost bins. We have been very pleased with the range of services offered us by Norseman Plastics... site coordination and bin deliveries are well organised and operate very smoothly. Prior to our association with Norseman, the City of Madison sold or gave away several different types of compost bins. The Earth Machine has proven to be the most popular with our residents.”
Home Composting Instruction Booklets included with the purchase of each Earth Machine
