Laudato Si' Article 22:
"...But our industrial system, at the end of its cycle of production and consumption, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and by-products. We have not yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations... "
In collaboration with Climate Reality Project Texas Chapter's Chair Darshana Gupte and San Antonio Composting, Saint Anthony Catholic High-school was able to set-up the vermi composting in the school community garden in December. The team has built several containers, and layered the pieces of brown materials from cardboard boxes, mulches, soil and finally the earthworms. SACHS community through Earth Angels is working very hard to make this happen so that left over food will be turned into compost using their newly set-up vermi-composting. We ask for your prayers so that the Earth Angels can continue their good works.
With this Vermi Composting, the cafeteria's food waste can now be used as a food for the earthworms. The following are just a few of the benefits of this composting:
1. Lessen the food waste and carbon footprint. This is a way to reach zero-waste goal. It is a step forward.
2. Increase the health of soil. The school community garden can now be fertilized naturally without harmful chemicals that can affect the health of the community.
3. This vermi-composting is healthier for the soil as this can produce microbes that can attract insects helpful to the environment.
The real work of this composting is to build the habit of bringing the food scraps from the cafeteria of the school then bringing these to the vermi-composting container out in the garden. Once the team has built the habbit and schedule of gathering the compost and dropping the food waste into these box containers, the students Earth Angels can get this integrated as a routine part of their life, this is when the waste becomes renewable. The good that the food has already given to the people has become even greater good to create a healthy eco-system or environment.
San Antonio Composting is looking for another school where they can implement this circular economic model into their garden.
On a similar context, a big shout out to Magnificat Community for continuing to practice composting since 2022. Currently with seven sisters, each contributes towards composting the kitchen scraps. Each of the sisters place the green scraps into 5-gallon green bins. A compost company service collects the bins monthly to process them into compostable manure. They have significantly reduced waste by composting; in the past, there were two days of gray trash collection, which they have reduced once per week. According to the composting service company, our environmental impact for this year is:
1,119 lbs. Diverted. 1,110 miles. The equivalent of not driving 1,110 miles. 7.4 seedling urban tress planted. From a greenhouse gas equivalency standpoint. 50 gallons of gas. 54,420 smartphones not spending time charging. 0.2 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled. 494 pounds of coal burned avoided.
As Saint Thomas Aquinas said about goodness and perfection:
"It is greater perfection for a thing to be good in itself and the cause of goodness in others than only to be good."
The idea that there is a value in the food that we eat, it does not stop in first degree of consumption. The circular economy mindset helps a simple food wastes turn into sustainable lifestyle.
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| San Antonio Composting Setting up the Compost Containers together with the students |
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| Preparing the box for the Vermi-Composting |
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| Magnificat's Community Compost |
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| Magnificat's Community Compost Bucket |
