In this series:

Part 1: Dublin waste problem

Part 2: Crampton Buildings community composting story

Part 3: What next for the Crampton buildings scheme

Part 4: Frequently asked questions about vermicomposting

Part 5: Frequently asked questions about community composting

Part 6: Other community composting resources

IPCC Community composting & wildlife Gardening Resources

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Worm Composting: Winning the Battle Against Waste

Crampton Buildings Residents Community Composting Project

By Sadhbh O' Neill

Part 2: The Crampton Buildings Story

We in Crampton Buildings decided to do something about our waste, and to show our neighbours (mostly restaurants) that they could do something too. We are living in the oldest residential complex in Temple Bar, and live in flats around a courtyard, above restaurants such as Elephants and Castle on the Temple Bar side, and retail outlets on the Crampton Quay side. It has 50 flats and over 80 people live in the complex of mixed incomes and ages. There are elderly people, people with disabilities and around 8 children between the ages of 1 and 12.

We have a unique story to tell as a community: the buildings were put on the market for sale in 1998, and the residents fought successfully to persuade Dublin Corporation to purchase the upper storeys and to protect the community from unwanted development. This campaign brought a diverse but thriving community together. But our community is also helped by the design of the buildings themselves, as we share our open space and all watch out for each other, especially more vulnerable residents such as the elderly or the children. On the down side, we are plagued by problems and nuisances created by our noisy, wasteful neighbours, who store their massive out puts of waste ­ even wastes with a commercial value such as cardboard - in gigantic wheelie bins.

We decided we could at least take responsibility for our own waste, and show the restaurants that it is possible to do things differently, in a way which respects both the environment and the communities that depend on it.

Following an initial flyer which we sent around, over 20 households agreed to participate in a community composting scheme. If one assumes that there is over a pound weight of kitchen waste created per household per day, this amounts to 140 pounds a week, or over 3 tons of compostible waste per annum going needlessly to a hole in the ground. We already have some bottle and can banks close by so this was the obvious place to start.

When the Corporation bought the buildings, we also started to develop ideas about how we might enhance the green area, attract wildlife and birds, so composting would also give us the means to return nutrients to the soil.

Why use worms?

For a variety of reasons, we decided on vermicomposting (composting with worms) rather than a compost heap.

- volumes of waste were too great for a heap to manage in a small area
- need for enclosed/ contained facility for handling the organic stream in the middle of a residential community
- threat of pests (rats, flies) is much reduced using worms
- we wanted a fast way to compost what is a huge amount of waste even from just 20 households (otherwise it would just pile up)

We approached the Irish Earthworm Company to get advice about how to go about it as well as Greening Temple Bar to discuss the location and construction of the worm bin.

What's involved in composting with worms?

Firstly, composting is a living process, it involves micro-organisms, worms and other soil creatures. This living component is what returns fertility to the soil, as you are recycling nutrients back into it. Worms are a wonder of the soil. They eat mineral and organic matter which they grind up in their gut, producing their own weight in worm casts every day which are highly fertile, containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. They contain calcium and they are also good for soil structure as they dig channels encouraging deep rooting, and increasing soil aeration.

Amazingly worms eat half their own body weight every day, so you can calculate how many worms you need to eat your waste food. The great advantage of worm composting is that composting can be done both indoors and outdoors, thus allowing year round composting. Also, a key difference between vermicomposting and ordinary composting is that using worms also involves microorganisims and the matter does not have to go into what is called a thermophilic stage for heat, CO2 and water to be liberated. Basically, using worms speeds up the process, makes it easier to manage, and makes it possible to compost efficiently throughout the year.

In a paper recently published in the journal BioCycle (April 1997) comparing the advantages of vermicomposting against ordinary composting, the authors found that:

- organic wastes can be broken down rapidly by earthworms
- it produces a stable non-toxic material with a high economic value (unlike the muck in your bin!) as a soil conditioner, substitute for peat, and of course a cost-saving in terms of waste management
- low, medium and high-tech systems all work and are available
- as with composting, vermicomposting reduces the bulk of waste dramatically ­ by around 90%
- using worms also reduces populations of nasty pathogenic microorganisms
- the use of worms increases nitrogen mineralisation
- worms may even bring about a greater decrease of bioavailable heavy metals
- there is even evidence to suggest that the final product may contain hormone-like compounds which accelerate plant growth
- on an industrial scale, trials of vermicomposted pig slurries and agroforestry by-products compared with composted versions showed that the nitrification was 50-65% higher using worms, and a decrease of bio-available heavy metals of 35-55% within 2 months. There were also indications that human pathogens may not survive vermicomposting at all (faecal coliform bacteria, salmonella).

So why aren't we all doing this in Ireland? In Vancouver, Canada, an organisation called the City Farmer has distributed over 500 worm bins to residents. To qualify for a bin, you must be a resident and attend a workshop ('wormshop'). The city authorities also have a compost hotline that you can ring if you are having problems.

Elsewhere, worms are being used to tackle difficult waste streams such as fish slurries, animal wastes, organic by-products from grape processing and in some countries domestic vermicomposting is perfectly normal and not unusual. In Ireland there are a few small scale projects, and a few schools participating in the An Taisce Green Schools Project have set up compost heaps at school.

So how do you do it?
(Further information available from our frequently asked question section below)

You need:

- a container (we are using a wheelie bin)
- bedding (shredded newspaper, cardboard)
- drainage (builders sand/ gravel)
- worms (Fishing tackle shops, another vermicomposter, Irish Earthworm Company, compost heaps) ­ how much ­ for one pound a day of food waste, use roughly 2 pounds of worms. In Crampton Buildings we have 30kg) ­ but the population of worms will increase if you start off small.
- Food

What the worms will eat:

- vegetable peelings
- tea leaves/ bags
- coffee grounds
- cereals
- baked beans
- fruit (citrus is ok but in small amounts)
- rice or pasta
- egg shells
- cooked left over food
- bread
- plenty of uncoloured paper or cardboard (no bleaches or dyes)

Avoid:

- meat scraps
- grass
- weed seeds
- diseased plant material
- cat/dog faeces

Initially feed the worms small amounts and then increase it as you see it, literally disappearing. Its a good idea to have one person responsible for feeding the worms on a regular basis to check that what goes into the bin is suitable. At Crampton Buildings we set up a standard black plastic bin beside the main worm bin. Residents added their waste to this and this was checked for plastic etc before it was put into the main worm bin. It's a good idea to feed smaller amount regularly to the bin rather than one big feed which may overload the worms ability to eat it. If this happens the waste may putrify. If this happens stop feeding, turn the waste regularly and break up the rotting waste as much as possible. Once the worms have managed to digest the food again you can resume feeding.

If the worms are crawling up the sides of the bin that could be because it is too acidic (avoid citrus, add some garden lime) or because of the weather.

The compost can be ready after 3-6 months, depending on the size of the bin. When the time comes to empty the bin you can separate the worms by exposing them to light or by attracting them elsewhere in the bin with food. Also as you empty the bin worms can be collected and kept aside in a bucket. Once the worm bin is empty you can return the collected worms and poorly digested surface material to the bin to start the process all over again.

Harvesting compost and separating out the worms at the Crampton Project

When you empty the bin, get lots of help, and if you need to the compost can be stored in heavy duty plastic bags until needed. This also allows the compost to dry out a bit and mature making it easier to use in the ground.

If you have other questions why not check out our frequently asked questions about community composting compiled with the help of the IPCC

Large green composting container at the Crampton buildings with smaller black plastic bin where residents place their daily green waste. One resident checks the green waste for impurities before adding it to the larger container on a weekly basis.	Adding green waste to the vermicompost container. Note the waste water outlet at the front and base of the container to allow excess water to drain from the bin.

A view of the compost in the bin just prior to removal and approximately 4 weeks of the last addition of household waste to the bin.	Some of the worms added to the compost bin at the start of the project.

More . . . . Part 3: What next for Crampton Buildings?

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