Just in time for Earth Day 2021, The Woodlands and Harvest Hill communities were recently honored to accept a special conservation award for their efforts to protect the natural environment, arrest the course of climate change and produce healthy, organic soils for local farmers!
Both senior living communities are signed up for Grow Compost of Vermont’s food scrap collection service. The compost company, whose efforts keep tons of food scraps out of Vermont’s only landfill, awarded The Woodlands and Harvest Hill a “Certificate of Environmental Stewardship” for their commitment to the program, even during this challenging year.
APD Lifecare Food Service Director Sam Fazio supervises APD’s participation in the Grow Compost program so staff can access and collect any compostable food scraps produced by resident dining activities. APD first got involved with the program in 2019, when efforts to divert residents’ food scraps from the trash into composting activities ended up collecting nearly 14 tons of scraps, or approximately 27,600 pounds!
Based in Waterbury, Vermont, Grow Compost works closely with local farms to transform food scraps, and other nutrient-rich, organic material into rich, fertile soil for the growth of green space. According to Grow Compost, food and yard waste comprise about a third of the waste Americans throw away in landfills, and, as these scraps sit and decompose in trash heaps, they also produce methane, a gas with 25 times more the global warming potential than carbon dioxide.
The 2020 certificate from Grow Compost lists additional effects of the communities’ collection efforts, including the reduction of greenhouse gases, mitigating climate change, extending the life of Vermont’s only landfill, creating renewable energy through anaerobic digestion and on-farm products, and even creating new jobs in our neighboring state.
The residents and staff of The Woodlands and Harvest Hill are dedicated to preserving and protecting the environment through composting and other environmentally friendly activities and proud to serve as stewards for the planet. Thanks again to Grow Compost of Vermont for this generous award!
