Organics in the circular economy: How they affect our carbon footprint 

Date: May 6, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: The Nicholas J. Juried Meeting House

Registration: Free. Donations to the Arboretum greatly appreciated.


Join us from 10;00 AM to noon to learn about organic recycling, an important step in effectively reducing our carbon footprint.

Organic recycling starts with collection, moving it into our yards, farms or central facilities so it can be processed. Microbes turn our organic waste into a resource and we can help make that happen. 

We will discuss different ingredients (manures, cloth, food waste, yard waste, livestock mortality..) that we can convert into a product. Compost use is the third leg on the climate footprint stool and really makes an impact. 

Compost is used in erosion control, growing fruit and vegetables, orchards, agroforestry, organic and conventional farms, rural and urban landscapes. Learn how to use compost blankets, sox, and berms. 

Organics make up 60 % of our waste, not including livestock manure or humanure (human manure), when they are placed in a landfill to emit greenhouse gases. Using compost is the key to reducing our carbon footprint by 3x more than compost processing itself.

Instructor: Jean Bonhotal, Cornell University, has 30 years experience in organics recycling with Cornell Waste Management Institute.

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