BY BILL BRADLEY
Both the public and private sectors are helping Sudbury lead the way in northeastern Ontario in residential composting.
?Other cities in northeastern Ontario such as Timmins and North Bay are usually following in our footsteps. We started our leaf and yard trimmings collection program. They saw how we did it and followed along,? said Melissa Bresnahan, co-ordinator of waste diversion, for the city.
Judi Koski, owner of EarthCare Environmental products, said Sudburians are quite enthusiastic about her Canadian-made Sunmar in-home composting unit.
?People here are very interested. Now you can efficiently and easily compost all of your kitchen waste year round, odour-free. It fits anywhere and is an attractive product,? said Koski.
While not familiar with Koski?s unit, Bresnahan said, ?By all means the more we can get people to compost at home, inside or outside, it is better for us all around...?
She noted that the city encourages worm composting or vermiculture through flyers and newspaper ads.
The City of Greater Sudbury?s leaf and yard trimmings service has been well supported by Sudburians.
Tonnage of material collected and thereby diverted from the landfill, rose from 178 tonnes in 2001 to 215 tonnes this spring.
And, increasingly residents are coming to the Sudbury landfill to reap the ?black gold? of local compost for their gardens and perennial beds.
Bresnahan advises residents to use clear bags for paper and yard waste or tie it in four foot bundles. ?When we bring the leaves and the yard trimmings to the composting site, we want it to be clean material for our municipal and public use,? she said.
Compost is available from May to Nov. 1 for $20 per tonne, $2 per garbage bin or $1 per bushel basket.
Yard and leaf trimmings are placed at curbside by 6 am the week of Nov. 4 for Sudbury and Copper Cliff, and the week of Nov. 11 for Azilda west through Naughton. Capreol, Hanmer and Wanapitae have pick-up during the week of Nov. 18. For more information, phone 673-BLUE.
For Sunmar home composters, phone Judi Koski at 523-1241 or visit Wanup General Store and Lacasse Fine Wood on Old Wanup Road.
