Hello BESTers,

Islands present a number of ecological pressures that species must 
overcome, which leads to a diverse array of unique adaptation.  This is 
not limited to plants and animals, but is mirrored in our human ecology. 
When humans in modern society live on an island, they inevitably 
produce waste.  That waste needs to go somewhere and landfills are hard 
to come by with such limited land.  It is also widely recognized that 
food waste a a large percentage of our waste stream.  The island of 
Martha's Vineyard is coming to this realization.  It ships 10,000 - 
12,000 tons of waste off island every year, about half of which is food 
waste.  A new pilot project, called Composting on the Coast, is closing 
part of this loop.  The project is looking at how much food waste the 
island generates and the feasibility of composting the food waste 
on-island.  The compost would then be used by homeowners and farmers on 
the island.  Just like the finches on the Galapagos, humans can adapt to 
the unique conditions of living on an island.

Have a great weekend,

Ryan

https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2016/07/14/composting-coast-island-grapples-food-waste


Composting on the Coast; An Island Grapples With Food Waste
Alex Elvin
Vineyard Gazette
July 14, 2016