“I don’t have a job anymore.”

Palm Beach County, Florida, has decided to make commercial worm composting illegal, saying it has the rights to haul away residents’ waste.

What is happening?

Mel Corici originally founded her own worm farm and community composting company, toHR It rot, Partnered with the Food Bank of Palm Beach County in 2015 to reduce food waste.

She was feeding expired food bank donations to her worms. Worm droppings, or castings, would create fertile soil, which could be used as environmentally friendly fertilizer. This is known as vermicomposting.

Eventually, Kurichi began serving local residents who could sign up for her program. Kurichi will collect waste from her clients’ properties.

But that all stopped recently when she received a phone call from the county Solid Waste Authority telling her what she was doing was illegal. It was then forced to close operations.

“Whether or not it’s on the sidewalk or in your house, if it’s trash, it belongs to the Solid Waste Authority,” she explained to the Palm Beach Daily News.

The province told Koreichi that it burns organic waste in the province to generate electricity that powers 88,000 local homes.

“Obviously the little composting you did could impact the county’s ability to do that,” Koreci told the Palm Beach Daily News.

“I don’t have a real job anymore,” she said. Tell WPTV.

Why are these regulations on vermicomposting alarming?

Palm Beach County incinerates the collected waste. This type of waste management causes air pollution And versions Toxic Gases. Meanwhile, one of the safest ways to manage organic waste is Vermicomposting.

The result is that highly fertile worm feces offer an alternative to traditional fertilizers and pesticides Soil and water pollution. The effect of fertilizers is often long-term and cumulative. according to Occupational Health and SafetyExposure to fertilizers may increase the risk of cancer in adults and children. It can also affect negatively Fetal brain development.

What can I do to help with these vermicomposting regulations?

Koreichi released A Change.org The petition, which you can sign to ask the district to reconsider its policy.

You can also practice vermicomposting in your backyard, even if you live there Palm Beach County. the Cornell Institute of Waste Management He has some tips on how to get started.

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