COMPOST PICKUP SPOTLIGHT #4: Kristen Kudert Hanna

Go Green Park Ridge is proud to spotlight our neighbors COMPOSTING! This interview is part of a series raising awareness of reducing wasted food, seeing the various opportunities to compost right outside our doors and inspiring each other to keep making a difference. 

Join us in becoming better stewards of the soil, partners in sustainability and proud participants in a greener future. Together we are building a more resilient Park Ridge by composting.

What motivated you to begin composting?
I was motivated to start composting years ago when I saw how much food scrap waste we had that could be kept out of a landfill and be turned into something good for the earth!  I first tried backyard composting, but I found that it wasn't the right fit for our family since we kept filling up our compost area quicker than it was breaking down.  One of my brothers was using a composting service (that picked his up from the lobby of his condo) and told me how easy it was, so we signed up too! 


Please describe any a-ha moments when you began composting.
The amount of things that can be composted with the compost service is amazing! It's not just fruit/veggie scraps but meat/fish/dairy waste, greasy pizza boxes, & certified compostable cutlery/paper towels/napkins to name a few...it really does reduce the amount of waste you have to put in a landfill! It has become a natural habit for our family to compost-so much so that my ten year old recently asked where the compost was when we were on vacation. :-). 

How long have you been composting?
We have been composting for about 8 years.  We use Collective Resource Compost Cooperative, and it couldn't be easier, especially since Park Ridge has a community program with them (which makes it cheaper for us than it used to be)! We keep a small covered step can (lined with a compostable bag: bio bag brand) in the kitchen and transfer it out to a 5 gallon covered bucket that the service provides us with. They swap out our 5 gal bucket every week. The weekly pick up is perfect for our family of 5 and very affordable: less than a dollar/day. If we host a holiday or a party, and we know we're going to have more compostable waste than usual, I order an extra bucket for that week.  I'm planning on doing this for our upcoming block party!  

We have not had any major issues with bugs or animals. We don't freeze our compost, but you can if you're worried about smells, bugs, etc. A tight lid on the outside bucket prevents any curious neighborhood animals from getting in. 

Do you have advice for new folks on how or where to begin?
Check out the Collective Resource's website:  Composting in Park Ridge IL | Collective Resource Compost Cooperative and sign up today-you'll feel so good doing something good for the earth!

Any advice to help Park Ridge increase participation in composting?
I think GGPR is doing a wonderful job with programs & getting the word out!  I see communication from the school district emails with green tips encouraging re-using school supplies, recycling, and trying to have low waste lunches! The GGPR social media posts are great too!  I think the library programs are also awesome because they're reaching the population of people that maybe don't have school age kids and may not be on social media. 

I think the biggest hang up for people is that they think it's going to attract bugs/rodents.  I also think people who live in apartments and condos don't always realize they can use the service too!

Composting in Park Ridge