Healthy Soils Healthy Seas Rhode Island

Improving Ocean Health Starts on Land

The overarching goal of the Healthy Soils Healthy Seas Rhode Island Project (HSHSRI) is to improve and protect ocean health, by educating, inspiring and empowering the community to foster environmentally responsible behaviors, with an initial focus on residential and commercial composting in Newport County, Rhode Island. This brings together existing composting efforts into a sustainable model and integrated operations that will demonstrate the effectiveness, efficiency, and strategic benefit of diverting food scraps from our waste stream and increasing awareness of the connectivity of healthy soils and healthy seas.

Map of community composters

Overview of Healthy Soils Healthy Seas Rhode Island Project

Clean Ocean Access is proud to announce the start of a multi-year project, funded by 11th Hour Racing, entitled Healthy Soils, Healthy Seas Rhode Island. This innovative project aims to inspire long-lasting environmentally responsible behavior by tackling ocean pollution at its root: on land. Healthy Soils, Healthy Seas RI brings together composting efforts across the state in partnership with existing food-waste-diversion groups: The Compost Plant, Rhodeside Revival and the Aquidneck Community Table. The three partners serve as the boots-on-the-ground team that will manage all commercial and residential composting collection and processing with an initial focus on Aquidneck Island.
The project strives to protect and improve ocean health by establishing an innovative and integrated materials management solution that brings together diverse stakeholders, including non-profit organizations, academia, government, local businesses, and industry. By encouraging people to think critically about their waste footprints, Healthy Soils, Healthy Seas RI aims to spark long-lasting behavior change that empowers people to reevaluate the need for low-and-no value materials that enter the landfill, or worse, that end up polluting our oceans.
Learn more about backyard composting here
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There are many ways to get with the project and your help is most appreciated. We are looking for households and businesses that already compost to lead the effort, and new entities that want to get involved. Express your initial interest right here

More about the project partners and funder

Formed in 2006, Clean Ocean Access (COA) has a primary focus on to eliminate marine debris, improve coastal water quality, and protect and preserve shoreline access. This new project formed out of the Clean Initiative and now has solid integration with the Ocean initiative and now we are thinking of using the compost soil amendment for shoreline access erosion control and improving ecosystem services.
Aquidneck Community Table "Food-Scraps-to-Compost" program has diverted thousands of gallons of food waste from the state landfill since 2012, using that material to enrich the soil of our community gardens. Customers at our Middletown and Newport farmers markets drop off their food scraps to be composted for a small annual membership fee. After signing up and becoming a Healthy Soils, Healthy Seas Rhode Island Champion, please go to the their website and sign up for the service here.
Rhodeside Revival is Rhode Island’s local curbside composting program that brings your home’s food scraps away from the landfill, and into the garden. After signing up and becoming a Healthy Soils, Healthy Seas Rhode Island Champion, please go to the their website and sign up for the service.
To close the loop in the food system, turning food scraps and "waste" products into compost and soil mixes that help gardeners and farmers grow more local food. We believe more local food means healthier communities...and we believe it all starts with healthy soil. After signing up and becoming a Healthy Soils, Healthy Seas Rhode Island Champion, please go to the their website and sign up for the service.
11th Hour Racing works with the sailing community and maritime industries to advance solutions and practices that protect and restore the health of our ocean. Inspired by and furthering the mission of The Schmidt Family Foundation, 11th Hour Racing embraces sponsorships, grantees, and ambassadors who integrate sustainability into their values and operations while educating, innovating and inspiring people with the critical message of ocean stewardship. Read more about 11th Hour Racing online.

Start the decade by Composting

Join the community momentum that improving ocean health starts on land, with an annual subscription for composting. With grant funding from 11th Hour Racing, we are offering an incredible savings to sign-up for Annual curbside pickup ($170) or Annual hub spot drop-off ($70) composting. This is available for residents of Aquidneck Island, Jamestown, and Bristol. As part of receiving the subsidized rate, you are joining the movement and we ask each participant to advance the project goals by performing the following efforts:

  • Divert food scraps by a method of curbside pickup -or- bring to hub spot drop-off
  • Install yard sign near the roadside to promote Healthy Soils Healthy Seas Rhode Island
  • Provide testimonial in 2020 to share your experience and why composting is important
  • Help to grow the program by encouraging family, friends, and neighbors to get involved

We look forward to you joining the Healthy Soils Healthy Seas Rhode Island Project!

Commercial composting
I want to participate, so I want to sign up my restaurant for composting
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Residential composting
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Statistics

7

Schools diverting food scraps for composting

25

Businesses diverting food scraps for composting

600

Households diverting food scraps for composting

650000

Total pounds of food scraps diverted from the landfill