Compost Works is a social enterprise that was launched in 2019. Headed by Minna Alanko-Falola, the organisation’s mission is to encourage people in Liverpool to compost their household food waste. We asked Minna to write a guest post in support of her crowdfunder.
The goal is to set up community compost schemes across Liverpool, in parks and other green spaces that are easily accessed by local residents. The schemes are free to join and members get a kitchen caddy for transporting their food waste into their local community compost. The compost produced from these schemes will be distributed among the members to be used their own growing and gardening activities, or to enhance community green spaces, depending on the site.
This is what community composting looks like at Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
The first two community composts are going to be built in the St Michael’s ward in South Liverpool, thanks to support from the ward’s Green Party councillors. The construction of the first site by St Michael’s train station is planned in mid-August, and people who have signed up will be able to use it immediately afterwards. The first compost is already close to being fully subscribed, which has been an encouraging sign that there is real interest in the local community to compost household food waste. The location of the second site is currently under consideration with the ward councillors.
Our premise is that food waste is not rubbish. It shouldn’t go into landfill or be incinerated; these are not environmentally sound waste disposal practices. Composting is a natural process where food waste breaks down back into soil, either by worms or bacteria. It is an integral part of the cycle of life where nothing is wasted.
Compost gives your garden a boost while diverting food from the waste stream
We live in times where we are facing a number of environmental threats and concerns, many caused by human activity. The amount of rubbish we produce is one. Composting is something that anyone can do, given the opportunity and the right tools. There is a real environmental impact in reducing household waste and turning your food waste into nutritious compost. Composting can also increase your connection to nature and give an increased sense of wellbeing and purpose.
Compost Works is currently crowdfunding to build four more community composts across the city in Walton Hall Park, Croxteth Community Garden, Springfield Park and Greenbank Park, working in partnership with local organisations. Besides being available for household food waste, the composts in the three North Liverpool locations particularly, will serve as educational tools, contributing to the existing environmental provision at these sites.
Three week-old compost at Squash Nutrition’s Grapes Community Garden
Any contributions to the crowdfund are gratefully received – please be part in making this happen! The more composts we can build, the more we hope to demonstrate demand and impact, so that we eventually we can have community composts in all the wards in Liverpool, available to everyone who is keen to give composting a go.
To find out more, go to www.compostworks.co.uk
To give to our crowdfunder, go to www.spacehive.com/compost-liverpool
