Westford Community Compost (WCC)
Energizes and empowers the community of Westford with the knowledge and practice of composting as a way to reduce waste, be better stewards of the earth, and create healthy soils and plants.
WCC helps Westford through education, volunteerism, community outreach and programs that encourage active composting practice.
Their mission is to:
1. Encourage and guide the participation of Westford schools to collect their food scraps for composting to reduce their trash and capture this resource to benefit our soils. Support on-site composting of food scraps by schools with piloting programs.
2. Expand composting practices in Westford (at schools, community gardens, farms, residential backyards, and possibly at a dedicated town site).
3. Educate and promote composting by conducting workshops and providing information about composting.
The composting program at Westford Academy (WA) began in 2015, spearheaded by the Environmental Club, with support of the Westford Recycling Commission (WRC) and Westford Community Composting (WCC) volunteers. This endeavor was sparked by a vision for sustainability to use school food scraps as a resource to make compost on-site at WA, instead of trucking food scraps away as trash.
WCC built a series of three 3-bay wood framed composting bins at Westford Academy. An Eagle Scout later built us a fourth set. The Recycling Commission provided buckets and storage bins for food scrap collection. Many yards of shredded leaves were delivered by the town to store in these bins to use to compost food scraps.
Students and community volunteers work together to make several yards of high-quality compost each year, which is screened, bagged and sold to our community. These proceeds are used to sustain the program. Also, from 2013-2022, WCC has rescued 31 tons of school food scraps from Westford’s schools to make premium compost for our community.
WCC managed and shepherded the composting program at WA from 2015-2023, this project is now being managed by WA's Compost Club which was formed in 2023-24.
Other Projects
Built a Trommel Screen to sieve compost with seed money from a Westford Cultural Council grant
Set up composting systems at the Westford Community Garden
Piloted a citywide curbside compost pick up with OffBeet Compost
Videos about our programs:
Inside Westford Academy’s Composting Program - Westford CAT
Wake Up Call from Westford Academy Composting Team - WCVB Channel 5 Boston
