In the summer of 2022, you may have noticed that a yellow Hsu’s compost bin appeared next to a tree near the Gardens’ parking lot. This compost bin is available for anyone to use and drop their home compost into, and Hsu’s picks it up weekly, adding it to their overall compost program. It’s been delightful to see neighborhood residents walking down the street with their buckets of compost to add to the bin, everyone doing their small part to reduce waste in our community.

The Gardens is excited to go a step further in 2023 by adding Hsu’s compost bins to various events at the Gardens. For years the Gardens has been using compostable plates and utensils as often as possible, but our on-site compost is unable to create the compost environment to successfully break down compostable plates and forks. So far, our use of compostable items has been well-intentioned, but ultimately not making as big of an impact as it could.

Partnering with Hsu’s to have compost bins at events like Theatre in the Gardens performances and Booze & Botany will be a great way to reduce waste and provide a way to learn about composting.

If you attend a Monk Botanical Gardens event this year (and we hope you do!), look for big yellow compost bins, and help us work to reduce the amount of waste heading to our community’s landfills by tossing in your plates, utensils, and any appropriate food waste. This compost heads right into Hsu’s compost program and back into the community as high-quality garden soil, which might even make it right back into the Gardens’ Kitchen Garden, other garden beds, or maybe even your garden at home!

Written by Education & Events Manager, Elise Schuler