Composting for a Greener Vizcaya

wooden box filled with composting materials

Get a FREE Composting Materials Guide

If you’re interested in composting your waste, but aren’t sure what materials qualifty, take a look at this free guide courtesu of Compost for Life.

From Garbage to Greens

With sustainability as one of Vizcaya’s core values, we strive to be an environmentally conscious institution, taking new steps towards more green operations each year.

The museum’s Environmental Sustainability Committee has spent months researching and planning to launch a composting program that would repurpose all the food scraps and paper towel waste produced onsite. Rather than sending them to a landfill where they would take up valuable space and generate potent greenhouse gases, these materials now contribute to the health and well-being of Vizcaya’s gardens.

In addition to helping our garden grow, composting also has a number of positive impacts on the environment as a whole. See the graphic below for of these benefits, as reported by the Compost for Life client dashboard.

 
Infographic showing the environmental impact of recycling waste at vizcaya's gardens from october 2021 to april 2024, detailing compost, co2 reduction, gas savings, and driving offsets.
 

A Community Effort

Together with our composting partner, Compost for Life, Vizcaya’s composting program is going the extra mile. Not only are we composting all food scraps and paper waste generated on our properties, but we are also able to accept compost from the public.

Every Sunday at the Vizcaya Village Farmers Market, bright pink bins are put on display near the entrance to the Village, welcoming compost contributions from the community. Not only do we accept food waste from market vendors, but also from market attendees that they can bring from their own homes.  (Food waste includes kitchen scraps such as vegetable parings and coffee grounds, as well as paper products. No plastic, please.)

Composting: The Livestream

This is your chance to learn all about composting and get your questions answered LIVE! On Friday, August 19, you can join us for a livestream featuring Vizcaya’s Head of Horticulture, Ian Simpkins, and Francisco Torres from Compost for Life.

We’ll be sharing how we started our composting journey at Vizcaya and what it has meant for the gardens. Francisco will also give you practical tips and a free guide, so you can learn to compost at home.

Facebook and YouTube will begin streaming at NOON. Instagram Live will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m.

 

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