Quick Guide to Composting
Why compost?
No landfills or commercial composting centers exist in Ouray or San Miguel counties, an area that covers 1,800 square miles with a population of over 12,000. All waste is hauled to one of two landfills in Montrose County, each approximately 70 miles from the major producers. A waste audit completed in 2016 as a part of EcoAction Partners’ CDPHE ‘Sneffels Waste Diversion Planning Project’ grant found that 35-45% of the approximately 13,000 tons of trash generated in the two counties is compostable waste.
It is estimated that composting 16.5 tons of food waste will reduce 25 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (mTCO2e) annually. Additionally, eliminating the trucking of this waste 70+ miles will decrease emissions by another 12 mtCO2e, bringing the total GHG emissions reduction for the Ophir Composting Project to an estimated 37 mTCO2e annually.
How to compost
Here are a list of resources to help you get started with composting: