The V.I. Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) is partnering with the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service (UVI-CES) and the Gifft Hill School to host free compost workshops during November.
The governor has submitted legislation to establish recycling and promote source reduction in the territory. One method of reducing the waste stream at the landfills is composting.
It is estimated that over 25 percent of the waste received at the territory’s landfills is compostable. The upcoming workshops will provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about composting, its benefits and how to get started. The workshops and demonstrations schedule follow:
St. Croix: Saturday, Nov. 5, at UVI Cooperative Extension Service Research and Extension Center in Room 133 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
St. Thomas: Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19 and 20, at St Thomas-St. John Agriculture and Food Fair on Reichhold Center grounds at 3 p.m.
St. John: Sunday, Nov. 6, at Gifft Hill School Upper Campus from 2-4 p.m.
Participants also will have the opportunity to enter a lottery to win a free compost tumbler. Persons interested in participating are asked to register soon because space is limited. To register for the St. Croix workshop, call 692-4054 or 712-4961. For the St. John workshop, call 693-1080 or 715-9145.
The compost workshops represent one of several activities VIWMA has planned for the month of November as the nation observes America Recycles Day. Composting is one of nature’s ways of recycling.
For more information, contact the Office of Communications Management at 715-9145 or e-mail communications@viwma.org.