City Hall Compost Pilot Program September 14, 2009

Objective:
o To have a vermicompost bin at City Hall for employee use
o To lead by example. Having a compost at City Hall would increase awareness
about the importance of composting for individual and commercial use.

Purpose:
o To provide staff and visitors the opportunity to be environmental stewards.
o Composting is a natural process that breaks down organic materials like vegetable
peelings, grass and leaves into a dark, earthy, soil-like material called compost.
o Compost is an excellent soil conditioner for plants, gardens and lawns.
o Highlight the efforts of the City of Edmonton’s successful Master Composter
Program. As employees, we should benefit from the resources we have within our
organization.
o Prove that City of Edmonton employees are dedicated to being environmental
stewards.

Feasibility:
o Composts are easy to start and easy to maintain with very little resources.
o Having a compost at City Hall would require the co-operation of custodial staff,
Council, Communications and Council Services employees and members of the
Horticulture department.

Materials Required:
o A compost pail for each lunch room in City Hall
o Large vermicompost receptacle
o Space for large vermicompost
o Red wiggler worms
o Shredded paper for bedding

Benefits:
o While the City of Edmonton Waste Branch currently extracts compost materials
before they enter the landfill, having a compost will reduce the amount of energy
used by the waste branch, which means lessening our environmental footprint.
o The compost can be used as an educational tool by City Hall School.
o The compost can be harvested by the department of horticulture to use for plants
at City Hall, community gardens or other City of Edmonton locations.

Communications Objectives:
o Raise awareness and highlight the success of the City of Edmonton Master
Composter program and the waste/ recycling programs.
o Lead by example; City of Edmonton employees can prove how easy it is to start
and maintain a compost.
o The small things everyone can do in their day-to-day life to lessen their
environmental footprint.
 o City of Edmonton is dedicated to continual beautification of our city.
o Having a compost at City Hall compliments Council’s ongoing efforts to reduce
waste in City Hall.

Successful compost projects:

o City of Edmonton Master Composter Program – Once a year, the Waste
Management Branch hosts the Master Composter/Recycler Program. Volunteers
learn about environmental stewardship in Edmonton including history of Waste
Management in Edmonton, home composting, household hazardous waste,
vermicomposting and residential recycling. This intensive three-week course
offers in-class instruction as well as several field trips to various City facilities.
o Telus World of Science Edmonton – they have a vermicompost in their
Environment Gallery. The organic materials in the compost are supplied by the
compost bin in the employee lunch room. Once harvested, the compost is added
to the plants within the gallery.
o The City of Vancouver – Vancouver has a successful compost and waterwise
demonstration garden. It is used by city employees to demonstrate how to start a
compost and what the benefits of having a compost are.

Contact:

Ashley Casovan
Communications, Council Services
Phone: (780) 496-8259
E-mail: ashley.casovan@edmonton.ca
City Hall Compost Pilot Project November 4, 2009

Where we are now:

o Vermicompost bin has been set up on Parking Level 1 of City Hall parkade.
o There is a collection container in the Communications Staff room.
o Containers for the Councillors’ Office, Tax office and Custodial office are arriving
this week.
o Information on how to use and maintain the bin will be sent out with each of the
collection containers.
o Learning sessions have been set up for all offices participating in the project.
o Video footage and pictures were taken when setting up the bin.
o Temporary signage has been posted.

Next steps:
o Permanent signage
o Name tag for Master Composter Volunteer
o Uses of video and images
 City Link
 Transforming Edmonton
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Edmonton Stories
o Waste to use a teaching tool
 School
 Business
o City Hall School
 To use as a teaching technique
 Decoration of bin
o Horticulture Department
o Expanding to other offices
o Kids in the Hall
o Engaging Waste Communications?
o Future compost bins
 Who is responsible?
Media Advisory
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Photo Opportunity: Students will separate worms from compost at the event.
The compost was produced through worm composting.

Milestone for City Hall Composting Program

Edmonton, May 12, 2010 – Grade Three students from Minchau Elementary
School will place the first batch of City Hall compost on a flower bed in front
of City
Hall. Mark Stumpf-Allen, compost programs coordinator with the City’s
Waste
Management Branch, will attend the event.

Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010

Time: 12:30 p.m.
Location: In front of City Hall, near the Friendship
Tower

Councillor Dave Thiele and Councillor Amerjeet Sohi will also attend.

About Edmonton:
This is a city alive with energy and boundless opportunity - a growing economic
powerhouse
where business thrives and more than a million lives enjoy the freedom to explore,
experiment, experience, excel and expect the most out of every day. A place like no
other,
Edmonton is filled with surprises great and small and a calendar packed with artistic,
sporting, theatrical and cultural celebration.

For more information on Edmonton, please visit www.edmonton.ca and

www.edmontonstories.ca

The City of Edmonton is a proud supporter of the community-led bid for EXPO
2017. Learn
more and get involved at edmontonexpo2017.com

For additional information, contact:

Carol Hurst
Senior Communications Advisor
City of Edmonton
780-496-8266