How to compost in Orlando: Wekiva Island’s partnership with O-Town Compost

If you are a fan of Wekiva Island, you probably know about our passion for sustainability. But did you know we recently started an easy way to compost in Orlando with O-Town Compost?

It’s true! We had a vision for making it as convenient as possible to compost in Seminole County or Orange County, and we were very proud to introduce the Wekiva Blooms C³ program on Earth Day this year. We are also very proud to partner on this effort with O-Town Compost.

This program allows our guests onsite—and our faithful fans at home—to compost, keep waste out of the landfill, and make a difference for both their carbon footprint and local agriculture. It’s a win-win!

Because it is a new effort, we wanted to take some time today to fully dive into the program and the benefits. Keep reading to learn more.

What is composting?

If you’re totally new to the concept, you might be wondering…what is composting, anyway?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, composting is “the process of recycling organic materials into an amendment that can be used to enrich soil and plants.” Long story short, composting is when you take certain items, like food scraps, and put them in an environment that allows them to break down. When they decompose, they create a nutrient-rich mixture that can be added to soil to help plants thrive.

Why is composting good for the environment?

So why should you compost? Our partner, O-Town Compost, outlines the answer to this question well. They say that the average person generates 30 pounds of waste every week—and a whopping 50 percent of that might be able to be composted! If all of that waste hits the trash can, it heads to the local landfill, where it not only takes up space, it also produces greenhouse gases like methane.

When you compost, you create nutrient-rich soil. With a partner like O-Town Compost, that mixture is used for local agriculture, including community gardens, so our Central Florida soil is enhanced and enriched.

How can I compost in Orlando?

Hopefully by now you’re seeing the incredible benefits of composting, and maybe you want in on the action.

We understand that it can seem intimidating to get started! That’s exactly why we decided to partner with O-Town Compost on this effort. We want to make composting as accessible as possible and take away any concerns those wondering where to compost in Seminole County might have.

Here’s how you can participate with us through the Wekiva Blooms C³ program.

If you’re onsite and have scraps left from your meal at Without a Paddle Café, just visit the composting center. All you need to do is look at your plate and follow the guidelines on the handy poster about what you can compost. (And you can know we’re doing the same! The staff at Wekiva Island and Without a Paddle have committed to making composting part of our food operations.)

Want to take it even further? We would love that! You can try composting easily at home by purchasing a compost caddy from our General Store. The caddy is convenient for your food scraps and locks in any smell.

When it gets full, simply drop your scraps off on your next Island visit. Our Seminole County compost drop off center is smartly designed to keep the pests (and our bear friends!) at bay. It’s that easy.

We, and O-Town Compost, take it from there and handle all the details to keep your scraps from the landfill and create soil that makes a difference in Central Florida.

Why is Wekiva Island composting?

At Wekiva Island, we are constantly striving to be the best stewards we can to this incredible location along the Wekiva River. We’re also committed to going carbon neutral by 2030, using our trademarked CERO tool.

Our business was founded on the ideas of community and sustainability, and almost nothing brings those concepts together better than Wekiva Blooms C³ with O-Town Compost. This community composting program is an easy way for us to help keep scraps out of the landfill, to reduce our carbon impact, and to make a difference in local agriculture.

That’s what has driven us to this new effort. We hope you’ll join us!

Check out the composting center on your next visit to Wekiva Island. Let us know what questions you have!