Compost Now is not only a pickup service for residential compost pickup, but also has a commercial division. In May of 2022, Crossroads Community Ministries began this service to handle the food waste generated in serving their clients.They began with 3 bins of 35 gallons each for weekly pickup;recently Matt Babcock and Tori Moore recommended adding a 4th bin to aid in handling St. Luke’s food waste.

Crossroads has varying amounts of food waste picked up, as staff became oriented to the importance of this collection.The most recent cumulative collection amount from May 2022 was 13,677 pounds,1368 pounds ofcompost created, 1422 pounds of methane diverted., 35, 561 pounds of CO-2 avoided, and 35,561 pounds of CO 2 miles not driven.

As Tony says, Crossroads is a Community ministry, and their aim is serving both people and the environment, as food waste impacts the poor.

Matt Babcock affirms this important focus. He and Tori are acclimating St. Luke’s staff to the habit of placing food waste in the provided bins, and several smaller compost bins have been ordered to accommodate various groups. Matt aims for St. Luke’s to have decreasing amounts of waste over time. Please note the various bins in Budd Hall where compost is being collected.

In that vein, Tori is diligently working with outside catering companies to bring only compostable/plant based items into the church.If a company tries to bring in anything plastic, they are told they will not be accepted the next time.

In addition, if a parishioner tries to donate plastic items to St. Luke’s, s/he is politely invited to take the gift elsewhere.The kitchen is working to decrease anything plastic from their supplies.

Compost Now accepts an amazing array of materials, including fruits and vegetables, meat, bones, and dairy, eggshells and paper egg cartons, cooled fats and oils, bread, pasta, and cereal, coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags, shrimp and lobster shells, paper towels, rolls, and napkins, non-synthetic wine corks, pizza boxes, house plants and pet food.They are able to accept so many items that can’t be placed in home composting bins, because they have an industrial facility, which heats the compost to very high temperatures, not feasible in one’s backyard.

The Flower Guild is also filling the bins with cuttings removed in the process of creating their beautiful arrangements.In addition, commercialCompost Now accounts earn 200 pounds of finished compost per year, in 40 pound bags.Matt envisions making some of this available to the Mustard Seed Garden and the pollinator Garden in the Park, and also in the renovated Back Yard spacewhich is being developed near the playground.As Matt says, this is sacred work, as this precious fragile Earth, our island home, is being assaulted on all sides with environmental threats.