The Flowers for Food Composting project is in phase II of this non-profit venture designed to immediately divert floral (organic) waste from GVRD landfills to composting stations, employing homeless persons of Greater Vancouver with day jobs while producing a viable nutrient-rich compost product that can be sold within 4 to 6 months, further reducing the impacts of homelessness and organic waste in our landfills producing greenhouse gases.
“Methane gas is created by the natural bacteria that break down organic wastes from crops, sewage, animal waste and garbage. Usually methane escapes into the atmosphere, where it becomes a greenhouse gas.” ~NRC ’08
The Flowers for Food Society appreciates (and applauds) the donors from the floral industry, and their willingness to participate in this innovative project designed to safely provide economically sound, sensible, and socially inclusive solutions to a growing problem affecting all of society.
The Flowers for Food Composting project provides immediate and direct benefits to several local charities and homeless people, in addition to numerous positive economic and environmental impacts, including:
- Reducing greenhouse gases contributing to global warming
- Providing opportunities to empower, feed, and care for homeless people
- Producing a viable, nutrient-rich compost product, to be sold to the GVRD and its municipalities for both commercial and private use, in support of charities and homeless people.
Compost is a safe substitute for chemical fertilizers and adds nutrients, texture, and porosity to existing soils while accelerating root growth, increasing aeration, improving moisture retention and water absorption. Nitrogen-rich compost also reduces soil compaction and erosion.