How can waste paper and cardboard EMPOWER householders?

Every scrap of our household waste is embodied energy.

The trick is, getting that embodied energy to work for us. The key to our success!

This video was shot in December 2021 at Lakeside Drive Community Garden (LDCG), Northern Territory, Australia. A snapshot in time of our composting infrastructure assets, our learning and the results of our actions. Simple, empowering and inspiring.

Our climate is tropical, we typically have a wet and dry season and we compost all year round. In mid 2021 we commenced a large scale pilot composting program and this video primarily shows you what we were doing with cardboard.

All valuable and satisfying learning, as we look to find the answers to repurpose our waste and reap the benefits.

[Editors note: Our practices are ever-evolving and we've learned that it is better to mix mulch with the cardboard to help keep it separated to breakdown faster. We live and learn.]

Composting: The life of our garden

Teeming with microbes, compost is vital to the vibrancy and success of our garden and we love making it.

Curiously, in our daily lives, we are blessed with all kinds of valuable resources that are often seen as a hassle. We just want to get rid of them and cardboard is a classic example. We buy a box of cereal, take it out and throw the cardboard away.

Sometimes cardboard waste gets recycled and made into new products, but in reality very little of our household waste is repurposed.

Cardboard is however, great for composting!

Take control! There is an alternative to landfill.

Repurposing your waste starts at home and household food, paper and cardboard waste are the ingredients for making great compost.

Using best practice we show you how, why and what you can achieve by capturing, diverting and converting your household waste.

The benefits are many:

• Sequestering Carbon: If you can't recycle your waste - repurpose it! Nature loves a place for everything and everything in place. All of those little bits of paper and cardboard you buy, touch and throw. Keep it for composting.
• Feel good about being responsible for your waste and make a GOOD impact.
• Feel good about making a contribution by sequestering your own carbon.
• The benefits magnify.
• Microbial life: The art of composting is creating the right conditions for effective/beneficial microbes to thrive. Return your food, paper and cardboard waste to the soil - from where it came - and you feed the creation of microbe rich and vibrant soil. The source of life!
• You've heard the saying; you are what you eat. Microbes live in us, on us and everywhere and Nature loves balance. Easily and naturally, thank you for your connection and contribution.   
• No-dig-gardening: Emptying your composter is 'pay day' with the bonus of no digging required. Put your compost on the ground and you can plant straight into it.
• Close your loop and grow your own FRESH food.
• It's easy to plant and pull out. Celebrate everything. 
• Community: By yourself or with others, growing food is an opportunity to share in the benefits of Nature. Take a walk in a vibrant community garden like LDCG and you can understand and appreciate.

There is a global movement of action being taken on climate change and NOW is a good time to engage and benefit. 

The best place to start is AT HOME. Landfill is a waste of waste.

** Keep your Paper, Cardboard and Organic food waste, separate and look for a composter! **

DO NOT bring your ingredients to LDCG for composting yet!

Our composters are at full capacity and we are NOT ready for you. More composters are coming soon.

SOON, a schedule of regular Community Composting workshops will be run. 

SOON, you will be able to learn about making soil and what you can do with it.

In the meantime, your participation starts when you subscribe to our FRESH News and watch us grow through our collection of blogs and vlogs. 

Habits CAN be changed and composting IS an easy first step.

Waste paper and cardboard CAN empower householders!

Celebrate everything.