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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday,
March 24, 2006
Contact:
Michelle
Andrews, Education
and Outreach Coordinator (360) 754-3355 x 7676
County offers
reduced-price compost bins online
OLYMPIA
–
Thurston
County
residents may now
get reduced-price compost bins delivered to their doorsteps under a new
program by the Thurston County Solid Waste Division.
Residents can order “Earth Machine” or “Biostack” compost bins by
visiting the recycling page of www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm
or by visiting www.composters.com/thurstoncounty
. Mail-order forms are also
available by calling the county Department of Water and Waste Management at
(360) 357-2491. The mail-order
form is also in the spring edition of the county’s “Talkin’ Trash”
newsletter, which is being mailed to all county residents.
The Earth Machine, normally $70, is available for $30 each. The
BioStack bin, normally $120, is available for $50 each.
Prices include shipping and tax. The
bins arrive in about one week if ordered online and slightly later if ordered
by mail.
Both compost bins can be used for yard and food wastes.
Before composting food waste with either of these bins, attach a sheet
of 1/2” (or smaller) galvanized wire mesh to the bottom of the bin.
Also, do not compost food products containing oil, dairy or meats since
these could attract rodents.
The county is making the bins available to encourage more residents to
compost yard and kitchen materials rather than throwing them in the garbage.
Food waste and yard debris make up 22 percent of the household garbage in
Thurston
County
.
“This
new service is a win-win situation for everyone,” said Michelle Andrews, an
environmental educator with the
county
Solid
Waste Program. “Residents get a good deal on the bins, save money on their
garbage bills, and produce a useful product for their lawns and gardens.
Thurston
County
benefits because it has less garbage to manage.”
Free workshops on composting, taught by WSU Thurston County Master
Composters, are also available. For a workshop schedule, go to the recycling
page of www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm or call the automated Alternatives to
Burning Hotline at (360) 754-2953.
Compost
bins are also sold in some local retail stores and nurseries.
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