Palm Beach County, Florida, bans commercial vermicomposting, saying it owns the rights to residents’ trash.
What happens?
Mel Corichi originally founded her worm farm and community composting business Let It Rot in 2015 in collaboration with the Palm Beach County Food Bank to reduce food waste.
She would feed the expired food bank donations to her worms. The worm castings or excrement would create fertile soil that could be used as environmentally friendly fertilizer. This is called vermicomposting.
Eventually, Corichi began supporting residents who could opt in to her program. Corichi would pick up the trash from her customers.
However, that all came to a halt recently when she received a call from the county waste department informing her that what she was doing was illegal. It was then forced to cease operations.
She told the Palm Beach Daily News, “Whether it’s on the side of the road or in your house or not, if it’s trash, it’s the property of the Solid Waste Authority.”
The county told Corichi that it burns the county’s organic waste to generate electricity to power 88,000 local homes.
“Apparently my small composting operation could impact the county’s ability to do this,” Corichi told the Palm Beach Daily News.
“I don’t really have a business anymore,” she told WPTV.
Why are these vermicomposting regulations concerning?
Palm Beach County burns its collected waste. This type of waste disposal causes air pollution and releases toxic gases. Vermicomposting is now one of the safest methods for disposing of organic waste.
The result – highly fertile worm castings – offers an alternative to traditional fertilizers and pesticides that can contaminate soil and water. The effects of fertilizers are often long-term and cumulative. According to Occupational Safety and Health, exposure to fertilizers can increase the risk of cancer in adults and children. It could also have a negative impact on the brain development of the fetus.
What can I do to comply with these vermicomposting regulations?
Corichi has started a Change.org petition that you can sign to ask the county to reconsider its policy.
You can also do vermicomposting in your yard, even if you live in Palm Beach County. The Cornell Waste Management Institute has some tips to get you started.
Subscribe to our free newsletter for cool news And actionable information that makes it easy help yourself and help the planet at the same time.