WHAT IS DPW?
DPW is short for Department of Public Worms. It is a student-funded vermicomposting service within A.S. Recycling Program that collects and composts organic waste (fruit/vegetable scraps, spent coffee grounds and filters, tea, eggshells- not to include meat, dairy, fats or oils) from various campus departments, Isla Vista businesses and local households. This is done with the use of variety of different species of worms- usually red wigglers, white worms and earthworms- to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste into nutrient rich, organic fertilizer known as castings. Containing water-soluble nutrients, vermicompost is a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. Vermicompost tea has been shown to cause a 173.5% increase in plant growth by mass over plants grown without castings. These results were seen with only 10% addition of castings to produce these results. DPW staff consists of one student coordinator and typically 3-5 student vermicompost workers during the academic year.
*To purchase worm castings and/ or tea visit our compost sales page!
Mission
DPW’s primary goal is to divert organic waste from the landfill to the vermicomposting process. DPW is committed to fostering food-to-food cycling and spreading compost education and awareness to the community and student body through quarterly workshops, tabling events, online resources and tours.
Want to get involved?
DPW is also engaged with a number of other environmentally conscious organizations in a campus-wide composting campaign! The Compost Pilot Project will be implemented this Winter quarter.
For more information, check out our at compostpilotprojectucsb.blogspot.com or visit our events page! Or come to our first informational meeting Wednesday, November 16th at 5:00 at IV Theater II!
History
DPW was created in September 2005 by a group of UCSB students who were motivated to create an effective and large-scale composting program within UCSB and the surrounding community. In November 2005, DPW and the IV Parks and Recreation District constructed the first of four worm bins in People’s Park. Since then, DPW has worked to divert organic food waste from various local restaurants and organizations to our vermicompost bins instead of the landfill.
Since the creation of DPW, there has been much progress. In 2009 weight of collections began to be recorded in order to quantitatively track the impact of DPW on the campus waste stream. Also in 2009 a route board and corresponding route sheet provided more structure to the program. Furthermore, a continued working relationship and symbiosis with the GROVE team is ongoing and provides further development of food-to-food cycling in practice. Overall, the continued structure of DPW is beneficial change that allows for program expansion and development.
Our additional goals are to educate the community about composting in order to spread environmental awareness, and to encourage the application of these skills in daily life through outreach. We regularly table at local events, participate in weekly Compost Coalitions, and host tours, which are all open to individuals, groups, students, schoolchildren, and anyone else who has an interest in vermicomposting.
Email ucsbcompost@gmail.com to book a tour, order our products, or find out about upcoming events!
DPW Staff:
- Philip Jankoski- Student Coordinator
- Brendon Peacock
- Nick Gonzalez
- Erin McCalahan
