Life as a Red Wiggler by MCR Alan S.

Hi there, I'm a red wiggler, the type of worm that helps turn food waste into usable and plant nourishing compost. I am excited to help provide you with an easy and environmentally friendly solution to your food waste. I am sure you are going to look after my buddies and I really well. You have probably been told a few things and have checked us out on the web. That's great! Here is a little more information about us.

We like to have proper moisture in our home (worm bin); we like it moist and not too wet.
Please make sure to keep a drain open in our home to make it easier for us to manage the moisture. Make sure you save any liquid that drains (if it doesn't have a foul smell) to fertilize your plants.  If our home gets too wet, adding more browns like paper towel or dried leaves will help us control the moisture and reduce bugs.

If you add a bit of sand ( about one cup sprinkled for every one inch of compostables) it helps are gizzards and keeps our land loose and easy to move around in. We also like a bit of trace minerals such as azomite and diatomaceous earth. Not only are these minerals and sand better for us, it is also much easier for you when it comes time to harvest our castings.

Here's what we like to eat:

• We too enjoy a morning coffee in the form of grinds and filters.
• Vegetables; not too many tomatoes please.
• Fruits; (no citrus) too much fruit = too many fruit flies.
• Breads, cereals, pasta (no milk products).
• Fine roots, leaves and a little grass.
• Eggshells (put eggshells in a paper towel, crush them up and throw in the the whole thing). These help keep our pH levels levels around 6.5.
• Paper products, shredded is best. We could help governments and agencies shred sensitive documents.
• Please remember don't give us meat or dairy products.
• Watch out for hot composting. Keep our temperature under 35 degrees Celsius or 90 degrees Fahrenheit. We prefer lots of airflow. 
• We like lots of variety and quantity in our food, so give us lots, if it starts to stink maybe you have over fed us, but fear not we will get to it all in good time.
• We are prolific breeders and if you follow these simple instructions we will multiply quickly!

That’s all for now. Take care of us and have fun! Keep us in the dark, moist and fed, and don’t let us freeze -- we are Californians you know!

With love from,

A Red Wiggler

To learn more: edmonton.ca/compost

Alan S. is a Master Composter Recycler from the 2019 year. Alan helps to reduce waste and turn it into goodness one worm bin at a time.  

Tell One Friend: Bring Your Container for Leftovers

Lots of people go out to eat. We enjoy each other's company, celebrate successes, or take the pressure off of making a meal. Restaurants will pack up leftover food, on request. But these containers are usually single-use packages. These are usually not recyclable and have a short life before going to landfill.

Bring Your Own Container for Leftover Food

Bringing your own reusable container when going out to eat is easy. It's an easy way to reduce waste.  A reusable container is less likely to leak or spill when transporting food home and is already in a convenient container to reheat for a future meal.

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Share Your Message Effectively

Try these strategies to help encourage your family, friends and co-workers to bring their own reusable containers.

Model the Behaviour
Show friends and family how you use your own reusable container to package up leftovers when out to eat. 

Make it Normal
Leave a clean container in your vehicle or bag for easy access, much like a reusable bag. Create the habit and it will be easy to make this practice part of eating out. 

Offer Timely Prompts
When planning to go out to eat with others, mention this idea to accompanying friends and family. Encourage them to join you with their reusable containers. 

Give Positive Feedback
"I really admire that you brought your own leftovers container out to eat today!"

Highlight the Benefits
Taking your own container to package up leftovers when out to eat is an easy way to reduce waste.

Visit edmonton.ca/waste

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Give Prompts & Feedback

Another installment about Effective MCR Conversations

MCRs use savvy ways to influence friends, family, neighbours, and co-workers. Keep those interactions positive, polite, and respectful.

Two ways that MCRs help change everyday behaviours are by giving prompts and feedback.

Prompts
Prompts are any kind of reminder, sign, or tip for someone *before* they do an action. These prompts may be "explicit" or obvious (for example, the sign on a recycling bin says "Recycling"). They can also be "implicit" or hidden (for example, the bin is blue, a colour often associated with recycling).

The most effective prompts are:

• Timely: Given exactly when the audience needs it;
• Specific: Addresses one specific need;
• Direct: Clearly shows what to do (or what not to do).

Feedback
Feedback is any kind of information users get *after* their actions. Again, feedback can be "explicit" or "implicit." Feedback can be as simple as noticing a behaviour and commenting on it..

Much like prompts, the best feedback is timely, specific, and direct.

Give Positive Feedback
"Thank you" is easy, positive, and always welcome. It encourages and affirms positive actions. Be specific. Make sure the person knows exactly which actions you noticed.

Giving Negative Feedback: Use Caution

This is more challenging. How can you effectively and politely discourage a behavior? Start by reading your audience. Ask questions. Be constructive and understanding. Use positive language, try to understand their barriers, and focus on solutions. Guide the person to alternative action.

More "Effective MCR Conversations"

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Next Key to Success... Ask Someone

 

Tell One Friend: Have Your Say Without Delay

It's time to continue the conversation. The City is looking for more input about the future of Edmonton's waste programs and services.

Join Waste Services to refine potential changes to cart sizes, share ideas for improving access to Eco Stations and more. Public engagement opportunities have begun and continue to April 15, 2019. What We Heard (fall, 2018)

How to Have Your Say

 • Complete the Online Survey
 • Visit a Drop-In Session

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Make Your Message Effective

Here are some tips for connecting with friends, family, neighbours and co-workers:

Be a Role Model
"I completed the online survey about waste, last night. It was neat and easy to do."

Decrease the Barriers
"The City also has drop-in sessions too. Let's find the next event,I completed the online survey about waste, near you."

Increase the Benefits
"Yes, the drop-in events are fun and interesting. Plus, our input will make a difference, helping you and I to deal with garbage, food scraps, and recycling."

One Small Ask
"Will you complete the online survey?"

Visit edmonton.ca/futureofwaste

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Tell One Friend: Be WasteWise When You Declutter!

Try this polite request to start meaningful conversations about waste.

Kudos to the #KonMari method and those out there decluttering their lives! Marie Kondo has sparked a decluttering movement across the world and you've probably heard about thrift shops and donation centres benefiting from this. This is great! Further, this begs the question, for those items in your life that don't spark joy -- where do they end up? Where do they belong?

Please be mindful of your waste as you declutter. Take a moment to learn What Goes Where. Reuse is always a better option than recycling or throwing something into the landfill.

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Share Your Message Effectively

Try these tips to connect with friends, family, neighbours, and co-workers.

Model the Behaviour
Show friends and family when you check What Goes Where on edmonton.ca/waste.
"Let's just check before we toss it. It's on edmonton.ca/waste."

Make it Normal
Post about donating decluttered items to the City of Edmonton's Reuse Centre. Mention their list of accepted items.

Offer Timely Prompts
Post the What Goes Where poster where family and friends can see it, when they are decluttering.

Give Positive Feedback
"Thanks for making sure that your clutter doesn't junk up the landfill."

Highlight the Benefits
Be mindful of your waste while you declutter and help Edmonton divert as much waste as possible from landfill.

Now that you have some tips in your back pocket, check out...

Visit edmonton.ca/ReuseCentre

Visit edmonton.ca/waste

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