Food and yard scraps make up 30% of the garbage in landfills. When you compost, you not only send less waste to landfills, you also support the environment with a valuable resource – nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Team Compost's mission is to encourage kids to recycle organic food waste. We’ve created the Food Scrap Friends: Clementine, Mac, and Pedro, who appear on stickers and buttons to help get kids excited about composting and serve as friendly reminders that food scraps are not trash.
Orange slice Clementine reminds kids to toss their citrus rinds in the compost pile. These aromatic scraps are great for scaring off scavengers–but remember that worms aren’t so keen on acidic fruits.
Mac, an apple core, is tasty, nutritious, and great for the environment. This delicious Food Scrap Friend loves hanging out in the compost, where he can enrich the soil with nutrients instead of living in a landfill.
Pedro the banana peel won’t trip you up if you promise to compost. Banana peels contain plenty of quality minerals and nutrients, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Plus, they break down quickly in the compost bin.
Clementine, Mac, and Pedro join forces to tell students what can and cannot go in the compost bin. It's available as a sign, or you can download a free to print an 11" x 17" poster.
For more information and to receive a sign featuring the Food Scrap Friends' composting guidelines, as well as free buttons and stickers for your organization, please contact conrad[at]smartsign.com. They are also available here.
With increasing support from local governments, community and school gardens, and awareness campaigns like Team Compost, we hope recycling organic waste will become as commonplace as recycling paper.
