To the editor:
A local Enterprise printed an introductory article on June 1, 2024 titled “CROWD looks to cut down on waste.”
Here is a referenced update on our progress. CROWD is our acronym for our targeted goals around Composting, Recycling, and Organic Waste Diversion.
We are a civic group, aligned with nongovernmental organizations like SEEDS, Michigan Recycling Coalition and MSU Extension. District 5 county Commissioner, Kama Ross, serves on the Solid Waste Council and actively participates with CROWD.
Meetings are open to the public and held in the community room of the Leelanau County Building. Members come from a variety of backgrounds but all with a strong interest in elevating how we view organic waste as a resource to be utilitized and not buried in a landfill. An important part of our work is to educate the public about the ways organic waste can be diverted from the landfill to create valuable soil amendments. Eliminating organic materials from the waste stream saves money for our communities and composting can help tackle global warming.
Michigan’s soil has a lot of sand and ripe to be mixed with biochar. There are recent bipartisan federal bills regarding biochar that have now been passed to committees. These bills (S373 &HR 1645) are intended to amend the Agricultural Research, Extension & Educational Reform Act of 1998.
The Act may be cited as the Biochar Research Network Act of 2023.
Our next meeting is Monday, Feb. 26 from 1 to 3 p.m.
All are welcome. Robert LaPorte Elmwood Township
