The Tinsley Team Standout Student of The Month: Charlotte Scolaro

By Charlotte Scolaro

Publisher’s Note – This month, our Standout Student feature is actually authored by the person we are honoring. Charlotte Scolaro is a junior at Westwood High School who is working on completing her Girl Scout Gold Award, focusing on educating Westwood residents about the attributes of composting, which is a relatively simple task that can be done at home while also having a big impact on the environment. As part of her project, Charlotte has developed a school curriculum and presented it to elementary school students, including a game to show students what can and cannot be composted. The goals of her project are to increase knowledge on composting as well as increase the amount of families who compost within the town of Westwood.

When it comes to sustainability, we need to talk trash! According to the EPA, landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions in the United States. This chemical is a primary contributor to global warming, a crisis the entire world is affected by.

Composting organic waste can help mitigate these emissions. The U.S. Composting Council estimates that composting one ton of organic waste can save 0.25 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. That is almost the same amount of combined food waste and yard waste that a family of four produces annually! In 2022, the population in Westwood was 16,231, so we are talking 1,020 tons of carbon dioxide emissions would not be released into the atmosphere if we all start composting today!

Composting takes as little as 10 weeks and will create a fertilizer for your plants that is porous and full of nutrients. Composted soil also improves water-holding capacity, reducing dependency on watering and decreasing the incidence of plant disease and your water bill. Composting does not take a great deal of time and minimizes your household garbage. The nutrient-rich “super soil” is great for use in the garden, lawn, and house plants.

By composting household food instead of putting it in the trash, organic matter is eliminated from the waste stream. This nutrient-rich matter can help grow your vegetables while reducing methane.

One small act can have a big impact – choose a way to compost today.

There are three options when it comes to composting. Westwood residents can purchase a backyard compost bin from the town website, hire a compost service, or self-compost by building a structure. The bottom line is that simply adding appropriate food scraps into a bin and mixing them periodically or having them collected has a significant impact on the environment.

If you are thinking about composting at home, here are some helpful tips to get started:

Choose a Method

Purchase a static or tumbling compost bin, such as the Earth Machine bin offered on the town’s website. These bins are relatively large, almost 3′ by 3′, and will be assembled upon order and can be picked up at the Carby Street location. I can also deliver the bin if you need assistance.

Hire a service such as Black Earth Compost, and they will provide a bin on wheels that can be collected curbside either weekly or biweekly.

Build a compost waste collection area in your yard with wood or bricks and a cover. For the bin’s location, it is suggested to choose an area with some shade so the material doesn’t dry out.

What To Compost

Add green materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps, used tea, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, grass clippings, green plant cuttings, old flowers, and weeds.

Brown materials to add include straw, paper cardboard, dry leaves, and woody prunings.

Cut larger items into smaller pieces to help them decompose faster.

What NOT to Compost

Don’t put diseased plants, pet droppings, cooking fat, glossy paper, weeds with seeds, dairy, fish, and plastic fruit labels.

Avoid adding meat and bones unless you have a larger compost system.

Layer Materials in the Compost (Only needed if you are using a Self-Built Composting Pile)

Start with a base layer of mulch or old potting mix for air circulation and drainage.

Alternate with layers of green and brown material

Add water after each layer to keep the pile moist but not soggy. Finish with a layer of soil or finished compost to help reduce odors.

Spin or mix the compost every week or two. Another option is to poke garden stakes or plastic pipes through the pile to allow air in.

Cover the compost bin’s top to keep in heat and moisture, which are essential for the process.

Have Patience

In 10 weeks, you will have your new, homemade fertilizer!