Why I Stopped Managing a Community Composting Facility

[@Pepso8P]

Do you mind elaborating a little about your bias against signs that would remind people what not to throw into the composting bin?

[@REDGardens]

Good question, something I do have a lot to thoughts about. 😁 I have a thing about instructional signs in general. I feel that they are often a bandage or workaround for a badly designed system, or an attempt to exert control with something that is not really controllable. In the case of these compost signs, I have found that when they are made they tend to include all of the things that shouldn't be added, which is part of the problem that I want trying to avoid. So I set out to have a no-sign compost system. If I do put up a sign saying not to add plastic things, that might prevent some of it, but I would expect some would still end up in the compost, just as I often find spoons, and stoppers for sinks. It is simply a difficult thing to exclude even if everyone thinks they are playing attention. And I need to remember that people who come to dump the compost are not the only people in the houses adding to the bins, so that message might not get passed on. When that happens, do I put up a bigger sign, or more signs, or more assertive signs? I guess I wanted to avoid starting down that road, and wanted to design systems that could just deal with it. But I didn't do that very well. Having said that, I was thinking of setting up a big board beside the compost where I could hang all the stupid things that I found in the compost, almost like an art instillation. And label it 'Lost and Found' or 'Is this Yours?' or something like that, to make a joke about it, and so that people can see what does end up in there. I think that would be more interesting, effective and educational, than an instructional sign.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

@@REDGardens I think it's certainly wise to set up any systems with as few rules/instructions as possible. I find that people don't tend to read signs and over time become even more blind to them. Effective group comms in this kind of siutation are very tricky. It is esp'ly hard to manage practical, analogue systems where you are not meeting the people in person all the time. I would be interested in a vid on how you have managed your expansion and how your systems have changed accordingly

[@ximono]

@@REDGardens Well said! → "Instructional signs … are often a bandage or workaround for a badly designed system, or an attempt to exert control with something that is not really controllable." And I love the idea of a "lost and found" art installation 😄 So much better than a sign, at least for those of us with a sense of humor.

[@TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

Use some signs man!

[@joefization]

​@@REDGardensI really like your lost and found/is this yours? Idea. Perhaps using the plastic trash to make a "community compost, organic material only" sign would make an effective reminder

[@roweyurboat573]

I live with four other family members, and I manage our compost bins. The other members of my family aren't as careful as me when it comes to what goes in the compost bin but still, I keep a fairly close eye on things and I'm amazed at how much plastic ends up in there. It's like magic. We live in a plastic world

[@niamhfox9559]

We've been careful for years but it gets in! I was confused by all these small square plastic bags and took ages to figure out they were tea bags!! The paper part had degraded away but they had plastic interior bags! It's even on the shiny/colourful print on cardboard boxes.

[@REDGardens]

We do live in a plastic world!

[@danyoutube7491]

@@niamhfox9559 It's so silly that society at large is fully aware of the need to reduce the use of plastics, yet manufacturers find new ways to pointlessly make products out of plastic that absolutely don't need to be. Tea bags didn't used to contain plastic, but they commonly do nowadays, for no good reason. Madness!

[@danyoutube7491]

Yes, I occasionally come across bits of plastic in the soil in our small garden despite being thoroughly careful not to drop any plastic and shun the use of plastic items in the garden. Some of it just gets blown in from time to time.

[@avishnevsky7394]

Two adults, zero plastic in compost, only paper stickers on fruits. Although i found steel fork in my own compost once😆 Organic waist bucket has own separate place on the kitchen, i think that it is the trick. And only adults are using it.

[@lettucesalad3560]

The worst are the stickers on fruit.. I find them in the garden years afterwards.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

An labels on paper bags and paper envelops. It's hard to know how much plastic a label has in it

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, they are tough ones!

[@tripleaaakollektiv870]

member the paper wrappers around fruit BEFORE the stickers

[@bigbronx]

yessss, those are difficult to spot once they are in the compost bin, almost impossible to find...

[@michaelkennedy1212]

I see 200+ comments already so this'll likely get buried but I just wanted to leave it anyway. I stumbled on your channel last week looking for information on the Three Sisters, and thought "He looks really familiar" when you were in frame, it was only when I saw a cut to outside of the polytunnel I realised who you were! A few years ago, a friend and I were passing through and were stuck for somewhere to crash, you were nice enough to let us pitch our tents in the gardens for the night. You're an absolute gent Bruce and I'm hoping to start growing my own food in the coming year up here in Louth.

[@REDGardens]

Hey, so cool to get this comment! Glad you were able to use the space for the night! Good luck with the food growing next year!

[@michaelyanus4134]

It's hard to be that one guy responsible for it all, and frankly I'm shocked you lasted as long as you did. Thankful to have learned from you, I remember watching some of your old videos back in the day

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Thanks Bruce. It was a vast amount of work. I can quite understand why you stopped. I run a personal compost system just for me and I still find a lot of plastic - even though I feel I am very careful. I find the turning and moving such heavy work, esp as I get older. 12 years is a great period time to experiment with and run a project.

[@gsdggasgs1799]

again im doubtful the plastic is a actual issue - annoying yes, unsightly yes, but it probably has no effect on growing

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

@@gsdggasgs1799 As a grower, nobody wants beds full of rubbish.

[@REDGardens]

Thanks! It is amazing how much stuff ends up in the compost even when we are careful!

[@pilsplease7561]

@@FireflyOnTheMoon nah its fine

[@jeshurunfarm]

Thank you Bruce. Respect from Africa 🇿🇦

[@bago696]

It's so frustrating that people could not be bothered to try and keep their green waste plastic free. That would drive me crazy. It's not that hard. 12 years is a good run though Bruce, fair play.

[@REDGardens]

People could definitely do a lot better, but I think we need to accept that it will rarely be "plastic free", something always gets in!

[@maxcloutier5285]

Most plastic that ended in my bin came from the automn leaves harvest. The wind bring the plastic pieces at the same location than the leaves.

[@JoRoBoYo]

Yup.

[@Luciferhelidon]

plastic is good for you though

[@sloanekuria3249]

@@Luciferhelidon yes, all my organs are now waterproof

[@aok2727]

Thanks so much for offering this service to your community. I sure understand your fatigue and respect that you did this for 12 years.

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@Scatup]

In the summer I got to bottom one of my big compost bins and found the wrapper from a 'National Trust' magazine as good as the day it went in 2 years previously. On it you could read 'just put me in the compost I'm bio degradable' . Just because it says it bio degradable doesn't mean it will in any meaningful time scale, after all granite will make quite good soil conditioner give a few million years.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

I agree that "home compostable" can mean 1000 things. I find these types of plastics incredibly slow. I suspect it would be faster in hot systems, but it all very much despends what these bioplastics are made of and it's nigh on impossible to find out.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I have come across stuff like that!

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

@@chrisgartenn Yes, only items marked "home compostable" should be tried at home, but evern then, with frequent bin turning and multiple goes around the bin systems, I don't find bioplastics degrade quickly.

[@bergbilch]

Yeah its quite appaling what companies call bio degradable. Recently saw a grease that claimed to be but in the next sentence says it contains teflon:D

[@bonniepoole1095]

Composting is so much work! With a quarter acre in gardens, I have 4 compost piles in different locations for garden waste and one brush pile. Kitchen scraps are placed into the worm bin. At 73 years old, I run out of energy before I run out of daylight, so the piles grow and only get turned about twice each year. Still, the great soil that accumulates under the piles provides a lot of material for homemade potting mix and mulch. The neglect isn't great as I'm 'cold composting' but the piles still serve me well.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, neglecting them isn't great, but if you leave it long enough the compost still makes itself!

[@JoRoBoYo]

My neglected pile is very hot and steaming 😂. I don't need to turn, wild boar come and turn it for me once in a while 😅

[@happyjohn2035]

Seems you've made a sensible decision. Personally I never seive compost but just spread it onto my nodig beds and rake the woody bits onto the paths between the beds . As it's just my own garden I control what goes in but somehow bits of plastic still appear mysteriously along with the odd potato peeler. as I'm in my mid seventies I no longer turn compost piles but fill,leave for two years then use on the fourth year.

[@REDGardens]

I think I would do the same if I was only working in my own garden!

[@boysrus61]

I would like to applaud you for your 12 years of dedication to this. I know it is a lot of work. I am in year 2 of getting my neighbors to bring their mulched leaves to the lot behind my house (with permission from the owner). I noticed a huge difference in putting the material on the dusty, weedy, dead ground when it came to where it touched my property. This year, still with permission from the owner, we have been able to spread the mulched leaves about 25 feet by 300 feet- along the back of my property. I had so much success in reducing the amount of weeds coming over to my property that I am sure next spring will be even better. It is also very nice not to have all those leaves going to a landfill. One neighbor previously rented the big bins, does all the mulching and trimming of trees, then pays to have it hauled off. This year he mulched and dumped everything behind my house and my husband and I spread it out. I wish more people understood the benefit to mulching and composting.

[@REDGardens]

Nice! Leaves like that can produce awesome soil!

[@PeteAshton]

Thank you so much for putting this together. The detail and honesty is really appreciated. The best lessons come from things that didn't work out how we wanted, so thanks for sharing.

[@REDGardens]

😁 I agree, some of the best lessons come from things that don't work out as expected.

[@pboyd4278]

Once again - overly polite and detailed explanation. Can’t express how helpful your insights are. Thanks

[@fxm5715]

If only this kind of politeness wasn't considered unusual. Keep it up, Canadians, wherever you may reside!

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

overly polite?

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@ericv00]

Plastic is the bane of my existence, and it angers me that almost no one cares enough to use and handle it properly. Not once in my entire life have I been able to dig a new bed without finding plastic wire ties, bottle caps, bag fragments, and sheet plastic. And every time I pull up my potatoes, I find more pieces I missed. People wonder about the microplastics-in-everything problem, they wag their finger at others polluting, but they won't make the small effort to change aspects of their life to eliminate the need for plastic. The only plastic I use is plastic I am forced to use or was not disclosed as a part of a product or its packaging. As a result, I generate only about 6-7 gallons of non-compostable trash a year.

[@REDGardens]

It is a serious issue, and I have to confess to not being as careful as I could be.

[@ericv00]

@@REDGardens This video shows that you are much more conscious about the issue and your usage than the vast majority of people, which is a huge step. I recognize that I am a little more extreme in my lifestyle than I need to be, but it is more or less to prove a point to the people who know me. This kind of reduction is not only possible, it doesn't even have as much of a QOL impact as most people assume.

[@REDGardens]

I think what you do is so important, even if it can be seen as more 'extreme' than most. I have always thought that it is the extreme edges of culture, people really pushing and testing the boundaries of what is possible, that allows the less extreme of us to better understand the diversity of possibilities. And eventually, far too slowly in most cases, a greater part of the society can be shifted towards something more appropriate.

[@guyvanooteghem8531]

I think it's outrageous that, for example, every banana or kiwi has a non-compostable plastic sticker on it. Why isn’t that simply banned? When my neighbors moved, they asked if they could dump the contents of their compost bin in my vegetable garden. At first, I was happy with the free compost, but later I had to fish out hundreds of pieces of plastic.

[@dancooper6002]

@@guyvanooteghem8531 Those stickers help a great deal in the grocery store to sell the fruit. A ban isn't needed. The answer is to take the stickers off before using the fruit (which I can't ever remember not doing) and dispose of them with the rest of the non-compost trash.

[@mrs.rogers7582]

You put in so much work that people don't realize what it takes to develop good compost.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, it can be a lot of work.

[@AgentJo-i1u]

In short: the last plastic straw broke the camel's back

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, something like that. Or ... I didn't change my method/approach to reflect the decreasing need/value I placed on it. both are good descriptions

[@tehehe4all]

Yours was the very first video I found d to learn about making compost. I’m still on my gardening journey. Your teaching has not gone unnoticed. Thank you

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@Stoic_Horo]

Lovely comment thank you for writing that down!

[@DarienNewman]

We have a small community compost drop off and plastic is also a problem here. It feels a bit inconsiderate and is frustrating at times but fortunately we are at a small enough scale that I can do the work of cleaning it.

[@gsdggasgs1799]

why not just leave the plastic in? its unsightly and annoying but i don't think it actually affects the growth of plants

[@DarienNewman]

@ those two things and also as it doesn’t degrade it continuously accumulates. I also don’t know the effects of it breaking down into micro plastics

[@REDGardens]

yeah, it is frustrating.

[@WhitelistedUsername]

​@rarefruit2320 It's scary when you look into it, every human on earth, except maybe people from uncontacted tribes, has a significant amount of plastic in their blood, brain, breast milk, reproductive organs. Some types of plastic are less harmful but many contribute to cancer, infertility, every kind of medical disorder really and it's not very well understood since we've only used plastic since WWII so like 1-2 generations. Mainly it's the big chemical companies like Dupont who have spilled insane amounts of the worst types of plastic chemical compounds into the environment and not necessarily the home gardener littering a few plastic pots and bags. Regardless once plastic contamination occurs there is no known solution for decontamination, no filtration or sifting process. Eventually it will become buried and captive within the ground as soil builds over top like when they dig down and find those old Roman roadways or structure foundations. Some can be destroyed if whatever plants, animals and other organisms or material that has absorbed the plastics is burned away by forrest fire but some of the really bad stuff from like from rainproof outdoors gear, non-stick cookware or industrial use plastic compounds require even higher temperatures than open flame to destroy and unfortunately are the most harmful.

[@WhitelistedUsername]

​@rarefruit2320 So I made this comment already, and it's disappeared, suspiciously. It's scary when you look into it. Every human on earth, except maybe people from uncontacted tribes, has a significant amount of plastic in their blood, brain, breast milk, and reproductive organs. Some types of plastic are less harmful but many contribute to cancer, infertility, every kind of medical disorder really and it's not very well understood since we've only used plastic since WWII, so like 2-3 generations. Mainly it's the big chemical companies like Dupont or 3M who have spilled insane amounts of the worst types of plastic chemical compounds into the environment and not necessarily the home gardener littering a few plastic pots and bags. Regardless, once plastic contamination occurs, there is no known solution for decontamination, no filtration or sifting process. Eventually, it will become buried and captive within the ground as soil builds over top, like when they dig down and find those old Roman roadways or structure foundations. Some can be destroyed if whatever plants, animals and other organisms or material that has absorbed the plastics is burned away by forrest fire but some of the really bad stuff from like from rainproof outdoors gear, non-stick cookware or industrial use plastic compounds require even higher temperatures than open flame to destroy and unfortunately are the most harmful.

[@lukeybukey3081]

“No Rules Compost” was my introduction to this channel! I instantly appreciated your deep curiosity about gardening because you let go of received wisdom in place of experimentation. This is really hard for most people! I often tell my friends that true scientists are curious people who will readily say “I don’t know”. You’re a true scientist Bruce!

[@2Flying.Flocks]

Your compost instruction has been thorough and obviously well received, thank you for sharing without bias while maintaining a truthful experience.

[@REDGardens]

So nice of you

[@Nabrab]

I've been watching your channel for years. I don't have the space or ability to grow a garden nor compost my food, but I still enjoy your content. Your videos are always very transparent and are reminiscent of a written study. I am so very happy to see your garden and channel continue to grow, and I look forward to many more years of videos.

[@REDGardens]

That is so cool, to know that people who don't garden or compost can still find value in watching my videos. Thanks! 😁

[@Orwellian-Purple-Grapes-1984]

Don't despair about space. Gardening can be done even in an apartment, you'll just need to scale your ambitions and expectations down. I live in an apartment and am in the process of building out a balcony garden (so far, only spring onions and arugula have been successful in the containers). I have even just started experimenting with vermicompost out there. If you have a balcony you can try that out as well. If you don't mind one or two squiggly worms escaping the bin sometimes, you could even set a worm bin up indoors. I also have a dedicated coffee grounds & pizza box bin in the kitchen wherein I grow a sporeless oyster mushroom variant. After the mycelium seems to be spent, I bury it in the balcony container garden, where I sometimes get a few extra mushrooms to pop up. Some people do bokashi pre-composting; I've personally not tried that, but I've heard good results from others. If you don't have a balcony, you can still grow microgreens indoors. Crops like garden cress need only water and a sunny windowsill to grow. Mung bean sprouts don't even need a window sill, because they grow in the dark. If you have an aquarium at home, you can try your hands at aquaponics to grow edible crops - otherwise trying hydroponics without the fish is also an option. It's not going to be profitable in an apartment, of course, but if you want to do this as a hobby, there's many ways to do it. You just need to think a bit outside of the box.

[@fxm5715]

Thank you, Bruce, for all the time and effort you have put into this project, and for sharing your experience with the world. It has definitely helped me develop my own composting system for my small, single household garden. It's unfortunate that when participation numbers grow significantly, individual responsibility starts to slacken; it's the old Tragedy of the Commons principle. Nonetheless, know that your efforts have benefited many thousands of us all over the world, and we are sincerely grateful.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

tbh, even if everyone was careful, it would still be a huge amount of work for one person to manage, with a great variation in the qualityand make up of the compost at the end. There would still be plastic, bones and wood in it, which would still need removing. I run a system just for myself. I am careful, and I am amazed at the rubbish I find in the end product. I have run large community projects and there is an interesting aspect in Bruce's work around scaling up. The village sounds like it has grown and incorporated more space and people. Bruce has exanded his growing area over 12 years. In these projects there is always the question of how to manage growth, expectations, comms, commitment to an original vision. It's never easy.

[@fxm5715]

@@FireflyOnTheMoon Agreed, there will always be contaminants, and efficiently scaling up an operation often requires significant redesign. In my experience, though, there's a definite reduction in the quality of participation and individual responsibility when making the shift from first-name-basis relationships to "that guy who does the XYZ."

[@REDGardens]

Thanks. I do need to remember that one of the reasons for doing all this was to be able to share what I learned, so even a 'failure' is useful. 😁

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

@@fxm5715 "the quality of participation and individual responsibility when making the shift from first-name-basis relationships to "that guy who does the XYZ."" --- Yes, I have found the same. When things are personal and close in, systems work very differently. Change over time (transient communities, visitors, people moving or dying etc) makes all this a challenge. I am interested how volunteer projects can manage this and sustain themselves, thriving and building, over the years.

[@peterk.6093]

I appreciate how calmly and reasonably you put it here. Watching your video, it seems almost like working on well matured compost is kind of a zen practice which helps maturing as a person. Thank you for making this world better with your projects and your videos. My compost pile does not get turned at all. It is quite small, just for our household and the garden weeds. Full of earthworms, plus I throw there any snails I collect in the garden. The slugs, I collect them in a jar with salt to kill them. The material adds slowly, there is no smell. Just some flies or wasps, which I take as adding to local ecosystem. After like 2 years, I just take off the top layer, sieve the old bottom layer and start re-building it again, with the bigger and newer material now coming to the bottom. This is what I also saw my parents do, to minimize the work. Maybe this kind of extensive, minimum labor slow compost bins, could be a future solution for the local community. Many people just need a place where to put their compost bin. It could be left to them what they do with it or whom they share it with.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds like a great system. And with a small amount of stuff an open pile like that can really work.

[@PoppaJep]

Awesome work, great video, thank you for sharing ❤️ I’m in New Jersey, composting leaves and grass clippings, no outside sources. The numerous bits of plastic emerge, I guess we are all in the same predicament. I do enjoy turning the steaming piles and monitoring the temperature with a compost thermometer. Next step will be establishing a worm bed. Keep up the good work, your experiences are a treasure.

[@REDGardens]

thanks! 😁

[@JJamiah]

I am in Jersey too. I have the worm bed and outside compost. I’m about to do a scale up on the small community gardening that I am doing at this point.

[@jcstatt8698]

The end of an era! Your no rules compost and one-rule compost videos were very important to me as I've gotten into composting, and aspiring to do so at larger and communal scales. Sad to hear you're dealing with so much plastic too. When I was initializing my composting operation, I brought in a lot of yard waste that neighbors had set out for municipal collection. Over the next couple months, it became clear to me that such yard waste was going include lots of uncompostable material from careless neighbors. When I collect yard waste, I do so knowing i'll end up "weeding" plastic, so I only grab neighbors' yard waste when I feel like I need volume. I haven't done that in a while, since I've started sourcing compost inputs differently. For carbon, I prep and shred cardboard at my workplace. For the rest, I have the usual garden waste, but I also collect the organic waste from a coffee shop and neighborhood kitchen in buckets, and add them to a compost system myself. Collecting the buckets personally could seem like a chore, but I like the feeling of community I get from walking the neighborhood and collecting their waste (plus I get free coffee from the cafe). Additionally, if I notice any uncompostable material, I know exactly where that bucket came from, and can give them their lost-and-founds back, or have conversation about acceptable materials if needed. Thanks again, Bruce, for all of your content and honesty around community composting. I'm gonna keep giving it a go, and maybe others will find personal collection to be a solution to the challenges you detailed here.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, that yard waste often contains a lot of other stuff, most of it probably just blown in. I was wondering if it would be better to get people to deposit their material into other bins, the I could then load into the compost itself. It is extra work and I am not sure if there would be a real benefit, as it is easier to find and clear out most of the undesirable stuff from finished compost. If I had hens again to help with the composting, I would do that I think, just to manage the feeding more. I can see what you say about collecting the stuff yourself really helping identifying the problematic sources, and I suspect someone was going to check the bucket might encourage people to be more careful with what goes in. I think one of the issues I had was the compost is fairly out of the way, and people could dump lots of stuff in there without anyone noticing.

[@itsi26]

“This is why we can’t have nice things…” sorry you have inconsiderate community members that took advantage of you for years of your hard work. May you be blessed with better neighbors!

[@jskratnyarlathotep8411]

it takes one out of hundreds inhabitants to spoil community owned stuff. And it doesn't have to be ill intent or laziness. It as easily could be just different amount of attention this person can or do give to everything

[@ximono]

That was a very good summary of this 12 year experiment. I've learned a lot along the way, so thanks for making all these videos! I feel the same about plastics in compost, I get a lot of it in the municipal compost too. I worry about accumulation over time, but I try to reduce it by filling my back pockets with plastic bits I encounter as I work in the garden. It would be interesting to see a trial and hear your thoughts on static composting! I think the Johnson-Su method seems like the most interesting one to me, but I've heard mixed things. It seems like there's a lot of detail and nuance that needs to be understood for it to work well. As always :)

[@REDGardens]

😁 I am really glad that the municipal compost I get is really clean, and doesn't contain plastic. I do want to explore the various options of static composting.

[@azdave1422]

Thank you for all you do. I continue to learn much from your videos and the incredible data you collect and analyze. The interesting aspect of the community compost project is the social experiment you actually conducted and it’s reflection on today’s society .

[@REDGardens]

Thanks 😊 It was an interesting social experiment, and an interesting way to learn more about myself 😁

[@ebikescrapper3925]

I manage recycling bins at work and it is a constant headache. People put bottles with liquid still inside, chips with ketchup in styrofoam containers.

[@REDGardens]

Such a common issue, unfortunately

[@maxcloutier5285]

For a similar job, the half-full water bottles, the small half-empty plastic containers of yogurt and the baby diapers in the recyclable paper/cardboard bin were the worst I could find.

[@ericschmuecker348]

When you get to writing a book, this would be an interesting chapter of garden politics. You definitely lead by example. And your examples are well tested and explained. Thanks again! E

[@REDGardens]

It would be cool to write a book, and 'Garden Politics' would be a good chapter! One day ... perhaps.

[@luckymike3065]

12years.. your a trojan Bruce.. Enjoy the freed up time to do something that really brings you joy... Appreciate your content

[@REDGardens]

Thanks!

[@Alex18442]

Really glad you made this video. It’s important that we are able to learn from each other. Your reflections and insights are valued, and it wasn’t a waste! I envision a future where projects like this are community-led which requires ownership from everyone. And when the time comes, I’m sure experiences like this will be “studied”

[@percy9228]

you're a hero to do this for the community for 12 years! well done

[@moedervanbranko409]

Thats just too much work for 1 man, turning all that compost. Its such a shame that people would rather benefit than contribute.. please keep us updateed about your new composting adventures.

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@Nphen]

My last note would have been a sign-up sheet for helping turn & screen the compost every 2 weeks. If the sheet isn't full by xx/xx date, the compost service will end. I need a plan for the piles of our own household compost that's building up. Mulching leaves this fall gave me enough to cover our few tiny garden beds and other spots that need mulch. Cheers to your years of hard work.

[@REDGardens]

It woful have been interesting to see how many people signed up!

[@MHawkeye]

ultimatums will just discourage people from participating, they basically already did this by letting them know before hand when they announced that they stopped supporting and people switched over to a paid service. ive posted before that red could also switch to a paid subscription but i doubt its going to be enough for them to go through that work. no one does things for free.

[@PR.Hobbit]

My first guess when I read the title was the garbage and second was the work involved even though it's free organic material Years ago the greenhouse business in my small town set up a community compost but closed it because of the garbage (nonorganic) deposited ... especially plastic bags. Now the Town has an area to dump organic material and same thing ... people throw the bags and all into the heap. I really enjoy your videos -- Thank you!!!

[@REDGardens]

😁 It seems to be the same issues everywhere! And people do not want to have to deal with the mess, so just put it in a plastic bag and chuck it in!

[@PR.Hobbit]

@@REDGardens Perhaps if they could experience the whole process including the food it produces they would appreciate it

[@SheriffofYouTube]

a treasure to the community,. Bravo and great run! nothing good lasts forever sir

[@naturesmoments1297]

Good timing Bruce, just about to start constructing my own shortly. One of the obstacles which has caused a fair bit of dithering on my part is where to build as not much flat land away from the cottage, one solution is to construct a Jora type insulated composter which i had at my last location, works really well speeding up the process x4 fold but best of all does't attract animals - the real Jora compsoters from Sweden are expensive but worth every penny for reasons mentioned, this time around I probably need something larger or multiple composters to handle increased volume, looking into making my own from marine ply and polyethylene insulation, cheers

[@REDGardens]

Those tumbler composters seem really interesting. Have never tried one, but would like to, even to process the stuff for the first few weeks.

[@naturesmoments1297]

It might help solve the problem of turning if you could make one large enough, the tough insulation on the inside is widely available in the building trade - I also had good success with Bokashi , that might be something to consider too as its a sealed process which keeps out pests, end product works great as a compost booster or buried directly into soil.

[@greeneileen]

Twelve years is a long time to manage relationships with an entire community. Good on you for sticking it out that long. I hope in your next community project others buy in with their time so that it doesn't fall only on you. Mentoring is a lot of work too, but can help avoid having to wind down community projects. I kept thinking that surely there would be one or two other people who would come forward and ask how they could help you keep it going (but I bet the most passionate are already doing their own thing at home.)

[@Murlockingqc]

I want to establish a community composting facility at my community garden but It's the second time I'm told by someone who managed for a while that they were stopping for some of the reasons you pointed out and others being people are lazy and just want to harvest the fruit of your labor but don't want to contribute in the work.

[@noelkealey]

It’s a lot of work, I do my own and made a vibrating sieve and it honestly saves so much time. I’ve found spoons and all kinds of plastic and we’re super careful (our daughter even removes the labels from bananas before putting the skin into the compost bin!). You then need to pay to scrap the community waste which is an extra cost for you.. surprised no one offered to help you with it…

[@REDGardens]

I do need to get a vibrating sieve going! I think it would have really helped. My problem was not having electricity supply close enough to the compost.

[@lawsonone6015]

Thank you for the service you provided. To say it was useful, to day it was fascinating to watch, are both understatements but these are all I have to describe it. Bless you and your work.

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@claudioarbib6828]

Hi Bruce, greetings from Italy. I learnt how to make my own compost bin from one of your videos and I silently thank you every time I use it. You are a beautiful and kind person, keeping managing this social project for years deserves our gratitude. And yes, I understand the reason for stopping it: plastics are everywhere and compostable shoppers contain a non-compostable fraction that improves their mechanical properties. Thank you anyway, I'll keep following your activity if you decide to share it. Claudio

[@REDGardens]

Thanks you, such a great comment to get ❤️

[@pmc9088]

At home composter here. Mostly made from fall leaves and summer grass clippings. The plastic is bad enough just from what blows onto my property to get collected. I also had neighbors who contributed that weren't so considerate about separating plastic from compost. I don't turn and I build piles lasagna layer style and just let time and biology do it's thing. I use a small electric rototiller on finished piles before use. Any type of community compost setup needs mechanization or participant labor.

[@REDGardens]

Yes, the stuff that blows in can be a big source of plastic!

[@Mushroomwizardx]

Bravo for doing it as long as you have. Too much work for just one person. Be cautious with the municipal compost. I recently started working in the waste industry and I’m appalled by a lot of what goes on.

[@REDGardens]

ugh, I hope the place I get my compost from doesn't change, as so far it is surprisingly clean!

[@maxcloutier5285]

I worked as a horticulturist for the city of Montreal for 15 years and I was in charge of composting plants recovered from the floralies gardens on Notre-Dame and Sainte-Hélène islands. The process was simple, if I insisted, I could bring in a loader to turn the stacks once a month. Composting was effective because the piles were 8 to 10 feet high. In physics, pressure and temperature are directly proportional. So the weight of the stack helped with composting and the smoke escaping from there was visible in the fall in cold temperatures. The nylon ropes of the hay bales were a problem. One day, after around 12 years, I came back from vacation and the mounds had disappeared to make way for a parking lot.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds like a good setup. I'd definitely get machinery if I was to do it again. And I'd love to see the impact of a much larger pile. Shame it shut down.

[@latinoenturquia8486]

Bruce, I understand exactly this problem because I did the same with one community and even I advised to the kitchen and a signal in the trash basket, a lot of plastic came any way and I stopped after 2 years. You have a lot of patience. Regards from Turkey !!!

[@REDGardens]

It is such a shame so many community compost projects stop for the same reason. What you describe is one of the reasons why I don't think it is worth putting up signs. They don't work well enough, and we get more anoyed that people aren't doing what the sign says.

[@latinoenturquia8486]

@REDGardens yes. I agree. Any way, I am a big fun of your work. Keep sharing, please. I am applying some of your ideas, like keeping detailed information of everything so later you can improve your work. Thanks Bruce. Regards, Jaime

[@CindyPak]

I’ve been trying to do the same for my local organic community garden, the green waste collected are mainly weeds and other plant material from the gardeners. Unfortunately, like you, I'm finding lots of small plastic bits, nylon stockings, those awful hay barrel plastic ties and plastic pots mixed in. Maybe people can't tell the difference between plastic and non plastic anymore, I just expected a little more especially this is a group who is into ORGANIC gardening.... I can't imagine taking on waste from the wider community. You have done well and I can see how it would wear you out!!

[@compostjohn]

This is an extremely insightful video, thank you. Any sort of community composting is labour-intensive and has multiple 'issues' such as the ones you've highlighted.

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@trevormatthews7981]

We’ve been using our brown bin as a stage 1 bin for food waste, including cheese but no meat. (We don’t eat much meat). After 1 to 2 years we mix this into our compost digester (4 timber sides with air gaps) which have garden waste and kitchen vegetable waste. I don’t do any turning of the 4 compost digesters, instead when digging out a digester I throw any partly decomposed material into a different temporary pile before returning to an empty digester. Usually this takes 1 hour every year. I always find stray plastic and foils from the kitchen. I stopped adding the biodegradable crinkle plastic wrappings as I got fed up digging them out. They seemed to break down in the centre of the pile but not near the edges.

[@REDGardens]

I like the idea of a stage one and stage two system for dealing with household stuff.

[@misterdubity3073]

Thank you for this follow up. I watched many of your composting videos in the past, and I was curious about how that would work out. I feared many people would add not just organics but plastic and other unwanted materials. I applaud your generosity with respect to all the work you did, and continue to do. It's a shame that a number of organic waste donors increased your work, probably by 15% or more, due to their ignorance or laziness or just because they didn't care.

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@civismesecret]

You provided an even bigger service by explaining your experience with composting to us so we don't make the sames mistakes

[@REDGardens]

I need to try that

[@henrybyers5557]

one system ive been interested in in the past are ASP systems, or aerated static pile. basically a blower that kickes on once or twice a day to force air into the base of the pile. it could definitely reduce the need to turn the piles as much, and speed up decomposition, even potentially making higher temperatures better for breaking down tough material or commercially-compostable plastics. they seem like they'd be simple to set up and if the blower is only on for a few minutes each day it makes solar power an option, eliminating the requirement to be close to a hookup. it could be an option if you restart the community pile somewhere else.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, that system seems really interesting, and would be good to incorporate into a new system (if set up!)

[@maxcloutier5285]

At home, I had a system similar to yours. A square of one cubic metre at both ends and a central square of half a cubic metre. I transferred the box composted in the autumn to the one in the centre and started a new one because the other one had just been filled. This composter devoured anything. The most difficult to compost was birch and avocado bark (not the pit). These items and small pieces of wood were composted several times. There was a yellow sulphur fungus that appeared during the summer and it was busy devouring the 6x6 treated, recycled from the bin itself. I never had any problems with rats until the city started major work on the sewer system. My neighbor complained that a rat fought with a squirrel for the territory of the tank.

[@maxcloutier5285]

There was no lid on my bins. Rainwater was part of the composting process. When I finished filling a bin or on other occasions if I wanted to improve the yield or aesthetics, I would put some compost ready on the pile. I moved and haven't started composting again but I often miss it, especially when I pay full price at the garden centre.

[@REDGardens]

I do like the process of sifting out the harder to decompose stuff and throwing it back into the fresh pile for another round of decomposition - after removing the plastic of course. I suspect some material has gone through several cycles like this!

[@thatguychris5654]

It may be fun to make a community biodigester that creates methane for warming a greenhouse or for cooking.

[@fritz4345]

Thanks for all of your videos. I started watching them when I started my own composting 8 years ago. It's a decent amount of work even for just two people. I could not imagine doing this for 20 households.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah it is a lot of work!

[@bigbronx]

I once got a couple bags of grass clippings from the nearby city, to add to my compost as I didn't have enough greens. There was so much garbage mixed in... docens of cigarette butts, all sorts of small plastic wraps for sweets and stuff like that. And this was from the mowing of a park that isn't that popular even. Never again. Just having to scan through the clippings to pick all the plastics one by one was not worth it. And that was just two bags of "grass". I can't imagine all the stuff you have seen mixed with those kitchen scraps over the years.

[@johnsheridan6452]

this reminds me of a social media friend who found a community garden once. Very immaculate, very well planted and well taken care of they said. Didn't do an ounce of work in the garden, just stopped by and took stuff when it was ripe. Never saw anybody there, but was sure to post about all the wonderful veggies she was getting for free. Fast forward the next year, no garden and the complaints started flowing.. when asked why don't you go down there and plant a garden, me.. I don't have time for that, it was a community Gardner, they should be doing that. Well there was your answer and that's what happened here. The others don't care about your hard work, just that they somehow benefit from it

[@francestaylor9156]

That person was literally stealing. The amount of effort and money it takes to make food and she was stealing all of that work. What a terrible person.

[@robertwren8878]

I thought about this i live in a block of flats/apartments but when you got residents that just dump ordinary items in our recycling bins it makes you think theres no intellgence around you. So why bother. I have a large compost/plastic bin with holes and lid that my family fills with a cut out bottom i dont turn it it rots naturally and i make tea from it. Thats all you need and an Arborist who will freely supply you with chippings. Job done!

[@thepandaman]

I think I subscribed off the back of an early composting video, and have definitely taken some cues from you - namely with the various sieves using the 20mm square weld mesh. On the subject of plastics within the compost, I was saddened to hear when one of my neighbours told me he'd used seaweed from the local beach for many years, but had recently stopped due to the amount of microplastics he'd discovered on closer inspection of it. Personally I don't think I'd have the right temperament to manage a community facility, and would get far too worked up over rubbish ending up in there. At least when I'm fishing it out of mine I've only myself to blame.

[@REDGardens]

There is plastic in so many places. I have also heard of people avoiding seaweed because of the issue.

[@irishfruitandberries9059]

Have you considered hotbin or tumbling composters? They have high upfront costs but I have found that they generate finished compost much faster than standard piles.

[@REDGardens]

I haven’t tried them, mainly because I have been operating this system, and I think the volume would be too much. But I’d like to try.

[@johnoconnor1948]

Hi Bruce I've been watching your channel for a good few years, and yea I feel your frustration. I only compost my own materials and yet also get plastic and spoons. Regarding the turning you will still get good compost if you don't turn or just do it once only. I only seive if I want to use it for seeds. I would say most of your contributers to the compost pile were like minded individuals and maybe needed a little more guidence and if asked might have helped you out with the turning and seiving. So keep the faith and keep up the good work educating. It's hard going trying to open orther peoples minds to change the way they are doing things, but like you I've been at it for years and slowly slowly I can see the mind set changing.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, I think you are right. More guidance, and perhaps a more forceful 'discussions' with a few households, would have done a lot to reduce the amount of plastic. But I think I needed to have more space, to let things sit and slowly decompose for longer, without needing to move everything. Getting people to help with the sieving is a good idea. I should have done that, of 4th help and to educate people 😁

[@Randomactivities2.0]

I have a tiny garden and get my compost by taking little scoops of black gold from the woods. The leaf matter gets to 18 inches thick or more in paces, and if ya can get to the edge of the super thick leaf cover there be gold, black gold. Lol. I couldn't imagine running a community anything without losing my mind.

[@shyamlynn243]

The best part of life is other people in their various forms. The worst part about life is people in their various forms. ...Sooo frustrating sometimes haha. Sir, you do an amazing job sharing all these experiences ; all things growing. Thank you !

[@REDGardens]

Well said! 😁

[@GARDENER42]

Plastic is the ONE thing I really hate in compost. As for the amount of compost one needs: I have 76m³ of beds & with the .450 litres of compost needed for my potato tubs, I need close to 3m³ of compost annually, which isn't all that simple to find the material for. I've followed your journey through this & admire your persistence. I also understand & support your decision to move on.

[@REDGardens]

That is a lot of compost needed, and not a simple task! Thanks!

[@GARDENER42]

@@REDGardens That's just over a 3cm layer on the beds every year. Mind you, I get two crops from most beds & average 7kg per m² in produce.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, that is a good yield for that kind of compost. Nice to see other people using data like that. I couldn't help myself thinking that you added about 30L of compost to get 7kg of produce. Interesting

[@GARDENER42]

@@REDGardens I just posted a reply with a significant amount of detail & KZbin's censorship algorithm appears to have autodeleted it.

[@REDGardens]

ughhh, sorry to hear that.

[@rainy_wish_studios]

I have turned many piles. I pick up vegetable waste from a local vegan restaurant and pick up leaves from the neighborhood. I do find the occasional spoon, fork or piece of plastic. It's very small scale. I appreciate what you have done! Amazing amount of work. I am actually thinking about getting a few rabbits because I could feed them some of the vegetable waste (most is very fresh and never any meat, egg or dairy) and then incorporate the rabbit droppings into my compost or directly on my plants.

[@scoobydoo7346]

Your system seemed to work! I hope to incorporate some of your principles when I start my own pile.

[@EliMontgomery-s3k]

I did the same thing and ran into the exact same problems in the community. I am evolving it into a pay service.

[@musicalchairs56]

I don't blame you for stopping.

[@allonesame6467]

Bless you, Bruce for all that you have done. Awesome!

[@REDGardens]

😁

[@sowgroweat6987]

This concerns me a bit as I am just starting my market garden and was looking to start a Community Composting Facility for the village. so this serves as a real warning for me.

[@REDGardens]

It is an issue, but something that can be worked around if you know about it in advance. Not sure if it would be useful for you, but one option that I have been wanting to explore is to dump each batch of compost with lots of plastic as a thick layer on the surface a raised bed or smaller section a polytunnel, and use it to grow a couple of intensive crops that can really benefit from the excessive fertility. Or even to grow some green manure that can be easily harvested for composting material - basically a biological filter. After a couple of years a lot of the fertility will have been used up, the organic matter decomposed or washed into the soil below, or taken down by worms, and you can regularly rake off or collect a lot of the plastic sitting on the surface. It will be ugly, and I'd want to protect it from the wind blowing everything away, but at least all of the plastic would be concentrated in a smaller spot rather than spread everywhere. If you did this over marginal ground, it might work even better. With a bit of planning, you could slowly filter out and collect most of the plastic, and improve ground for additional growing spaces. Sorry, a long response, but your concern got my brain thinking and wanted to get an idea out. 😁

[@sowgroweat6987]

@@REDGardens wonderful reply thank you. Using your experience I feel I can put in place a conversation prior to the material arriving. Using an area to use as Green Manure growth area to collect all the waste but still benefit from the harvest sounds a great idea thanks.

[@lostpony4885]

I just setup a rotating compost bin. Got it for 30 bux at thrift. Right at the get go it was hard to stuff material into into its smallish opening but that should be fine for adding a few things at a time.

[@MyChilepepper]

I stopped gardening vegetables after a batch of bought organic compost had glyphosate in them plus my back getting old to be digging around. All my peppers and tomatoes shriveled. Instead I let the garden patch thrived with wild flowers. Watched the whole year from my window hundreds of goldfinches, hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visiting. Sometimes you need to ask this question “what can I eat that which I do not have to kill” Still understand with what you were doing there.

[@TSiriusz]

Honestly alot of the composting problems can be mitigated by using the hot composting method of composting. Coffee grounds mask alot of the smells and add alot of nitrogen to the compost which helps cook it alot faster. This is especially true if you have a good balance of browns and greens, to which alot of leaves and or paper/Cardboard and such can be used to supply the browns. The greens can be sourced from coffee shops for free too. The process of making compost is very fast as it cooks down at 140 degrees or more, and half finished compost that do not emit a smell can be used directly into the garden as a very nutrient rich mulch. This half finished compost can be processed further in worm bins for worm castings; which is black gold in terms of creating worm casting teas to evenly spread out nutrients and much needed microbiota that help plants grow.

[@KristelViljoen]

I collect garden waste at the municipality garden waste dump sight and it takes me days to sift through it to remove the plastic waste. I have found multiple times Lego between the waste that adds to my son's collection. I made a hand sift and cut the larger pieces of twigs with pruners. It takes alot of my time but I love sitting outdoor under our Witstinkhout Tree listening to agricultural and farming lectures while sifting through it. It is my way of relaxing and enjoying nature. It is sad to know how much plastic has taken over our world. It is difficult for me to see how out of balance our relationships with other people has become. That nobody felt the urge to assist or take turns to help taking care of the compost bins is shameful. Years ago people would be too embarrassed to let you do all the labor without any assistance. Society has forgotten how much we need each other and how important helping each other is.

[@mossfoster5317]

I think you hit on a key point. Community means all getting involved, not everyone benefiting from one person's work. In more isolated times we would have known every member of the village (/community) and you knew if you didn't do your bit you'd be talked about and shunned. This is the natural order of things whether we like it or not. There needs to be some kind of guilt associated with doing the wrong thing otherwise this happens, sadly people on the whole don't care much for things outside their bubble. If they all chipped in they'd understand the work involved and begin to care. The breakdown of strong community relations is the root cause of an awful lot of issues in our societies today.

[@SojaRouge]

Most of municipality compost is made from mulching road side cuts. Which are full of plastic because people just throw everything by their window by driving or cigarette butts made of nylon. It's just that they mulch it more, so you might find less large pieces of plastic in it, but I'd never use municipality compost in a garden, except for flowers, since you introduce microplastic particles in your food, and we already have enough of it from other food sources.

[@nowistime8070]

I agree with you about people not respecting the "rules" of composting. it caused me a lot of stress last year so next year I am not partaking in it

[@evieary8433]

So not sure if its something available in your country but mini rototillers, Its a little bigger then a weed wacker but with more controlled tractor power. We got one to tear up ground for a new bed for my moms garden and then she got the desire to turn the compost. My dad (who also has back problems) had the wild idea to just use the rototiller and he legitimately had fun and it went through the 16 cubic feet pile in about 25 minutes. That being said big rocks might turn into projectiles and any plastic would get shredded but a clean pile much fun. I think the idea of chickens would already create a good quality fertilizer as they add in their nitrogen feces and shred the material up quite well. Also they can keep insect levels down from the pile as they eat them. And homegrown eggs.

[@REDGardens]

I was thinking of that as an option. My issue with a tool like that is I don't have an electricity supply near the gardens, but I was hoping that Dewalt would do one (as I have a load of batteries). Not so fond of the idea of it shredding the plastic though 😬

[@SleepyKittens]

In my metro area (MN twincities), our county provides yard waste collection sites for residents (branches, garden wastes) and kitchen scraps sites/bins. I also considered creating a worm casting setup, which you should consider, as it will decrease the work you do with the sieving and turning. I only use the finished county composts for ornamentals, as I find too much plastics and labels, etc and buying bagged compost is easier, and I also shred my/neighbor's autumn leaves which is great for the garden. Overall, the cost of casting and compost has gone down so much that it is easier to purchase. Moreover, I am on a yard waste pickup plan with my refuse provider, and my yard waste and a few dead rodents my cat bring home, goes into that, with large scale trees going to the county site. I am also planning on adding alfalfa pellets spring/fall as well as castings/shredded leaves to amend my raised veg beds (10).

[@REDGardens]

Shame your county compost contains all that stuff. Interesting that you have found the price to go down, keeps going up around here.

[@project1003]

It seems more and more frequently that *every* source of compost has plastic in it. Our local municipal source is free and is probably the worst since it is sourced from municipal collections and landscaper/arborist waste and usually has plastic, glass, and metal in it. Commercially available compost, even those advertised as "organic", have less foreign matter but it still happens with frustrating regularity.

[@samo-xt2rv]

Another great video this one connected with me because over the last year I have created a community garden that is full access to the public for harvesting as they want and it has grown exponentially but some of my volunteer gardeners have asked for a public composting system so I built a compost corner for them which I will not be opening up for the general public as I can see it will end up being me sieving out all the plastic

[@REDGardens]

It can be a problematic line to cross, letting the general public use a facility like that.

[@julianadelion5497]

I am grateful for this video. Food for thought bc I have been contemplating the possibility of welcoming community compost

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@SuchiththaW]

Something to think about if you do ever bring this back. I think this kind of system does best when people in the community are doing more than just dumping. Get them on board with the sieving, the flipping, etc and I think you'll start to see better engagement with this and it be less strenuous on you.

[@REDGardens]

I think you are right, and it would be most useful. to get people to help sieve the compost. This is lighter and less smelly/messy work, which I apparently dont mind as much as other people, but is still useful work. And it lets people see what does end up in the compost!

[@runed0s86]

Idea for amending the compost: mycorrhizal fungi! Add the beneficial microbes back into it! I like the dynomyco and xtreme mykos brands.

[@kiorde]

I recently got my hands on an old village house with some land attached to it. I'm trying to get it in order or at least not look like a dumpster. And yeah, all sorts of plastic is a pain in the arse. Everything else decomposes nicely and can generally be left alone, but plastic and glass have to be hand-picked, sieved, processed. I hate plastics with all my heart, so I can totally understand your lack of desire to deal with it.

[@REDGardens]

There are so many potential growing sites that are contaminated like that. A real issue!

[@BalticHomesteaders]

I feel your pain. Image the compost of a household of 4 and I’m constantly moaning about the plastics, cutlery and weird things that find their way into the compost bucket! You mentioned once about closing the loop with regard to fertility etc and wondered how buying in large quantities of municipality compost figures into that. The reason I ask is not to catch you out but as I’m facing the same quandary myself despite constantly upping my compost game. Thanks.

[@REDGardens]

Good point. I guess I use to think that closing the loop on nutrient flow, and using sensible 'organic' methods in the gardens would be enough to manage growing spaces into the future. Or at least do most of it. I guess I now think that process is slow, and difficult, and can often lead to years of mediocre results, even if it feels like the right thing to do, and we love what we are growing. Buying in large amounts of compost, if we can get it, and if we can afford it, and if it is clean and good quality, as well as buying concentrated forms of fertility, can really help establish and boost the productivity of a garden, especially initially. And it can be a lot easier, especially when there is so much other work to do when trying to get things established. Once at a higher level of productivity, then I think it is easier to maintain it, and even improve it some more, through upping our compost game, and closing those nutrient cycles. Does that make sense?

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Buying in local green municpal waste is not quite a "closed loop", but it's pretty close.

[@lm5050]

Very interesting and I gotta say that old "no rules compost video" certainly got my interest in your channel some years ago now. Where I live in Sydney, Australia - Municipal councils started an organic waste bin system to compost on an industrial scale. The output then gets converted into a commercially viable product that is sold at nurseries for a profit to the councils. The biggest drawback to this system is a lack of individual benefit - while it feels good to put my coffee grounds into an organic waste bin -- what is the point of putting in that extra effort to create a product that I would buy from a nursery anyway? Always enjoyed your informative videos and I am sure I am not the only one who is inspired by your videos to some day aspire to a more sustainable lifestyle closer to the food that I depend on.

[@REDGardens]

Cool you have access to that kind of system. Is there plastic and other stuff in it? That seems to be a very common complaint.

[@sustainable_living_steelgully]

It's really frustrating how people approach systems like the one you provided for so long. They will happily benefit from the system but they have no interest in taking care of the system and they are satisfied paying another to take care of their waste when your free system is no longer. It is such an easy come easy go attitude these days and is why like you I stepped away from these kinds of projects for my community. I ended up bitter and jaded from constant hard work and frustration. In the end I found much greater satisfaction in my work when I was not beholden to others and can do what I want when I want and if it does not fit in with my forward planning I scrap it and do something else with no one to answer to for my decisions. So though it is a shame that the ride is over, you should feel proud of all the hard work you put in to better your community and it is only a reflection on those who had used your system, that they have not in 12 years (bar a few and good on them) learned from you to set up their own. I look forward to seeing what you try next for your own composting needs, good luck and happy learning!

[@MHawkeye]

Its even more puzzling how some people fail to recognize that nothing is truly free, even when they acknowledge the person eventually transitioned to a monetary system to receive service. No one provides value or effort entirely without compensation, whether monetary or otherwise. Understanding this fundamental principle helps frame how humans interact and negotiate with the world around them. For instance, those who dont fully manage their own waste are at the very least, paying by contributing waste for others to handle. This "contribution" might seem negligible but it is still a form of cost-whether environmental, social or economic-that someone else must absorb. Red no longer finds their contribution worth their time and they too switched to a paid service that does it for them.

[@myounges]

I have been composting my kitchen waste for 15 years using vermicomposting and throughout the years i evolved into a similar no rule method such as yours. I have a small ikea bin my kitchen counter. Scraps go in there, once a week (we are a household of 4) I have two big 20liter pots under a tree (where nothing grew anyways) half full of soil and worms. I bury the scraps in layers, digging a hole and putting scraps and soil as i go. The only rules I try to follow is not add more than 1.5-2kg a week and mix enough with soil so that fermentation doesn't cook the worms (compost). I only have to half empty the bins twice a year. Works well for a small house.

[@REDGardens]

Nice! I just started my worm bin a while ago, sounds like a similar setup. Seems to be going well. Lots of worm activity! Hope to get the number of worms up to the point where they can handle most of our kitchen scraps. 😁

[@sinkintostillness]

You did an amazing job, all that turning and sifting is hard manual labour! I think you got something out of it when you started, but are wise to stop now and focus on your gardens. Unfortunately people are selfish or are simply blind to the effort you put in to manage the system. This is the reason I haven’t asked my neighbours for composting material.

[@bsod5608]

You did the community a great service, free of charge, for a very long time. With a very manual, labour intensive system. I understand that you came to this conclusion. Perhaps a few neighbours would be willing to pay you for your service? I have issues with plastic too, even with just four persons who put in material. And all four is forced to participate in the yearly sifting / removal of plastic process. In our case it is by mistake. The plastic bin is close to the compost bin, and both are open. I really hope that ppl was not abusing your system. Good look in the future!

[@REDGardens]

I do wonder if propel would be willing to pay. I know so many people with household systems that report the same issue as you. Great that you have everyone out dealing with it though!

[@yearofthegarden]

Honestly good for you, I've been farming for over a decade and a half, and compost is a huge hassle, free is nice, especially in the beginning of compost needs you think free is best, but quickly it becomes a constant thought of dealing with issues, and more of a energy burden when you open yourself up to having a pit for people to dispose of their waste. Any communal activity always results in one person doing 80% of the work for freeloaders. I quit using free compost within two years after I realized that I just need organic matter and nutrients can be achieved with dry application mineralization and animal waste products, which can be acquired from simply buying mulch, and bloodmeal + other organic ingredients.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, free is so tempting when starting out, and it often feels like such a great thing to do.

[@chris-2496]

I keep my own compost and use it for beds to grow flowers and veg. As I am eating that veg, I am careful not to add to compost stuff that would contaminate it. I shy away from adding any cardboard that has ink on it (I rather bur it in the furnace for heat) as those are most likely not food safe chemicals etc. One 0.6m3 aerated bin is enough for my household of 4 and small garden. I do not turn it but empty it in the spring and even though it's not fully decomposed i put the material at the bottom of my raised beds to finish decomposing (and don't bother to sift) while the plants are growing. Nutrients are steadily released, and boy do plants flourish in those beds!

[@brianwhite9555]

I don't blame you for stopping the community composting after 12 labor filled years. I, too, would be greatly aggravated by the amount of improper household waste that was carelessly combined with the organic matter. I collected used coffee grounds from a local coffee shop for a few years, two 5 gallon buckets a day, seven days a week, and there was a learning curve for the shop employees regarding plastic waste. They caught on to which items I didn't want to see, but I still had to check every bucket when dumping in the compost. It would be great if your local community would set up a staffed facility dedicated to local household organic and residential yard waste. Staff could better enforce compliance to posted rules. If residents had to pay a fee to dump waste, but were given credits to redeem for finished compost, then they would feel invested in the process and be more likely to comply with the rules. I assume they wouldn't want to see bits of plastic in their own gardens. We're not getting any younger, so I'm happy to know you'll be spending more of your own time on your own gardening projects. You served your community well for a time and now it's time for a change. :)

[@Kayenne54]

2:22 When I was gardening a lot, and using compost, I just had small piles of compost per seedling plant. On top of spoiled lucerne hay bales, split into "pads". Straw all around, and well watered in, and the entire bed became a composting garden bed ("No Dig Gardening" - Esther Deans) method. I also threw on dolomite (we have very acidic soil where I live) and blood and bone around each seedling. For regular fertilizer feeding, cow pats (dung) suspended in stockings, in water, to make "tea". Because selenium is also in short supply in our soil here, seaweed foliar spray a couple of times per growing season, and particularly when transplanting. But I never over-fussed about compost; I let the garden bed arrangements do it for me. Quite honestly, if I put out garden and kitchen waste, I was merely feeding the local ant nest populations, and possibly rodents. The meat ants had visible tracks through the soil and grass to the "compost bin". Meat ants are related to fire ants, so encouraging them wasn't the best idea...even though they gave me no grief personally.

[@REDGardens]

Sounds like an interesting and low impact approach.

[@Kayenne54]

@@REDGardens Not anywhere near as much work as compost bins, after you've laid out all the beds you want, and it's best to have edging or some grass suppression barrier, to keep grass from taking over; other people lay down more straw between beds on the walkways, which would turn to compost and get used up on the beds later. I should have also complimented you on how much work you DID put in, for so many years. People who don't garden don't realize how much labour goes into those compost piles...Which is one reason I chose the "lazy" method; slower but still worked for me, and I was more parsimonious with the available compost for seedlings.

[@Picci25021973]

Nothing is more frustrating than doing something for the others without asking anything and receiving this kind of attitude as a reward. It kills your joy in doing things, it kills your hope in humankind.

[@REDGardens]

Yeah, it sucks that some people don't put in the effort.

[@timsmith5019]

many thanks - a thoughtful and insightful clip.

[@REDGardens]

🙂

[@muhamadthemotorcityfarmer6016]

I don't blame you. The junk that flies into my personal compost pile carried by the wind (chips bags, shopping bags) is frustrating. What's a bio reactor?