The City of Greenville and Keep Greenville Beautiful will be receiving a $20,000 grant from Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores and Keep America Beautiful to help the City expand its very successful composting program. The City will use the funds to build a second composting demonstration site, to be located at River Park North.

“Last year, we had more than 200 people sign up and receive composting bins as well as taking a class on how to use them,” said Recycling Coordinator Cheryl Tafoya. “The program was so successful that we had to turn away more than 150 other residents who wanted to participate. This grant will help us serve those and additional people as well.”

Greenville’s composting history goes back to a 1998 grant which supplied composting bins to 100 residents – more than 50% of whom still compost to this day. This new grant goes beyond just providing opportunities for individuals to compost.

“We are really excited to have the composting site come to River Park North,” said Christopher Horrigan, Parks Coordinator. “The compost provided by the bins here will allow us to increase nutrients in newly established plant beds. We are hoping that this will help newly planted native plants and create a wonderful habitat for a diversity of wildlife, but especially birds.”

The visibility of this second composting site – the first is at the Public Works Building, 1500 Beatty Street – at such a popular park should help boost awareness of composting and its benefits for the environment. Both sites will host composting demonstrations as needed.

People interested in composting should contact Cheryl Tafoya at 329-4048.

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