Portland to promote composting door-to-door
PORTLAND, Ore. – After three months into Portland's new composting program, the city is about to pay people to go door to door to promote it.
The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has set aside $18,500 to hire nonprofit groups to spread the word about composting. That money comes from landfill fees paid by garbage users.
The city doesn't need to convince people like Rachel Kurrasch. Inspired by her love of gardening, she has learned to love composting.
"It just makes sense if you're going to have a garden of any kind," she said.
Kurrasch takes time each week to stockpile and then dump spoiling leftovers. But Mike Hockman does not.
"It's too messy," he said. "I live in a house-share and we're all busy working jobs and stuff like that and nobody ever wants to empty the pail. So it just all ends up going into the garbage anyway."
For the person who knocks on either Hockman's or Kurrasch's door next month, a composting conversation is worth $2. If they aren't home, the person will get $.50 for leaving a brochure behind.
Lauren Norris, a sustainable living outreach manager with the city of Portland said she thinks it's a good use of money. She's overseeing the plan to pay community groups to spread the word about composting.
"It's a real investment in the community instead of a big ad on a billboard," she said.
Norris said they'll target 40,000 Portland residents who may have composting questions.
"They're renters so they may not have gotten the information from their landlords; they may have problems with reading the literature," she said.
She said the doorbell ringers will encourage composting, but they won't debate people like Hockman or try to change their composting habits.
"I would probably have a conversation with someone if they wanted to come over, but it probably wouldn’t make a big effect on me whether I compost or not," Hockman said.
The city is still in the process of recruiting people to go door to door.
Read more about the effort and how to participate. (pdf)
