In support of its earth stewardship mission, Boxerwood created a new program in 2021 with the goal of catalyzing composting efforts in the Rockbridge County area. Backyard composting brings multiple environmental benefits. Most obviously, the process produces rich soil. It also reduces the amount of food scraps heading to the local landfill, which both cuts carbon emissions from transportation and also prevents the release of methane into the atmosphere from the break down of food waste. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), contributes to climate change. It is created in anaerobic decomposition (without air) conditions such as landfills. Composting practices, on the other hand, eliminate most methane production because they are aerobic (with air). Thus, composting is a more environmentally friendly practice – and worthy of promotion.
The Backyard Compost Challenge enrolls 80 local households in a 10-week challenge to develop new composting habits. Each spring, Boxerwood distributes 80 free Earth Machine composters to participants in Rockbridge County, Lexington, and Buena Vista. To qualify, households must not already be actively composting. In addition to the free composter, each participating household receives a kitchen countertop food scrap collection bucket and a hand scale. In exchange, each household provides Boxerwood with data about how much food waste (in lbs) family members sent to their new backyard composter each week.
To assist the development of new composting habits, Boxerwood also provides ten weeks of expert compost coaching. This coaching begins the day participants receive their composter and supplies at Boxerwood, with informal exhibits provided by volunteers from the Rockbridge Master Gardener Association. Once participants have set up their new composting system at home, Boxerwood sends a weekly blog post for 10 weeks with more information about composting. Topics include “How to Cook Up the Best Compost,” “Why Compost?,” information about other local composting initiatives, and tips for continuing the composting habit after the conclusion of the data collection period. Participants can also ask questions and advice of Boxerwood staff experts at any point during the 10-week period and thereafter.
This coaching and data reporting period have three goals: 1. To give participants the information they need to compost confidently, 2. To create and reinforce a daily/weekly habit, strengthened by a collective multi-household project, and 3. To gather data about the amount of households on average could divert from the landfill through backyard composting
During the 10 weeks of data collection in the Spring of 2024, participating households reported composting 5021.36 lbs of food waste from the landfill. During the 10 weeks of data collection in the Spring of 2025, participating households reported composting 4197.78lbs of food waste from the landfill. Collectively, participants composted a total of 9219.14 lbs of food waste. This project prevented the release of the equivalent of 27 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The Backyard Compost Challenge 24 & 25 thus generated 27 offsets.
