Thanks to the encouragement of compost experts who read green LA girl, I decided to get a worm bin and started collecting veggie scraps! Unfortunately, I’m gonna have to throw those out — because the City of Santa Monica’s out of city-subsidized worm composters :(

Didn’t know Santa Monica even had worm composters? Neither did I — the city website only mentions a Biostack composter — until reader April let me know she’d gotten a Wriggly Wranch compact worm compost bin (right) for the same subsidized $27.06 price from the city.

So today I finally made my way to the Solid Waste Management Division, which BTW, isn’t exactly easy to find because there’s no signage. I just followed the signs down Michigan Ave. to the Household Hazardous Waste center — mainly because those were the only signs — despite the fact that the signs said the center was closed.

Oddly, the center was open when I arrived. I asked the nice guy there if he knew where I could get a composter. “Compost?” he said. “Um — CompostER,” I said. He said he’d never heard of that — but directed me to the Solid Waste admin building, saying if anyone had composters, they would.

That building was just a bit farther in the city waste compound than the HHW center. I went in and asked the nice woman at the front desk if they had composters. “We just have one left!” She said enthusiastically — and was about to get up and get it when I asked if it was a worm composter. No, she said rather sadly, and told me they’d order more come July 1 when the new fiscal year begins.

So my composting plans are on hold until July 1. You may point out that I can buy a non-city-subsidized worm bin now; I’ll point out that we’re in a recession — and I pay high rent to live in this city. Also — I have 4 thoughts as a result of my composting fail:

1. Someone with a yard — Nab that last composter NOW.

2. It’d be great if the Solid Waste MD could get more funding to 1) buy more composters, 2) update its website, noting both Biostack and worm composters are usually available — but have run out right now due to the generally crunchy and compost-happy nature of Santa Monica residents — but will be available again July 1-ish, and 3) rebrand so its name doesn’t begin with the words Solid Waste, which while descriptive, sounds unappetizing — especially if you decide to visit during lunch break. My suggestion: Keep Santa Monica Pretty Center.

3. If you’re a Santa Monica resident and, like me, want to get a city-subsidized worm composter, call the Solid Waste MD on July 1 — and perhaps every week thereafter until they say they have the new composters in — before heading over and fighting the traffic trying to get on the 10.

4. To prep for your future foray into worm composting, bike over to the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Virginia Ave. (NOT Arizona) this Sat., May 23, for a free composting demo by Master Gardener Darren Butler. You can stop by and ask questions anytime between 9 am and 1 pm, but the special presentation and demo on starting your own worm bin begins at 11 am.

Top photo via stopwaste.org; other photos by Siel

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