The Brightside: Go Green OC progress
OCEAN CITY, Md. – Over the past few years, Go Green OC has been growing its movement to turn Ocean City into the first zero-waste resort town in the U.S.
Go Green OC has diverted 1 million pounds of food waste since the inception of the program. In part, this has been made possible through educating, recycling, composting, and zero-waste initiatives. “When Josh and I started, we were literally selling a few cans behind my car, and now we have a box truck and we have formal support from the town,” says Garvey Heiderman, owner, of Ocean Compost LLC and The Hobbit Restaurant. He adds, “It’s straightforward to lose sight of the inspiration that we had six-seven years ago but when you see that inspiration and are reminded daily why we’re doing this, it’s awesome.”
For those unfamiliar with composting, it’s the process of taking organic matter and material such as food waste, mixed with something like wood chips, and turning it into valuable fertilizer; Or like those at Go Green OC say, black gold. “When you get to see this big pile over here, coming from that not-so-pretty pile over there, you know you’re doing something right,” says volunteer Curt Bartenbach, as he references the finalized compost. Katie Riley, another volunteer adds, “It’s cool that Ocean City is involved with us in the first place to announce that this is what we’re doing in the town, we are trying to be green and making it the first zero waste resort town would be awesome for people to see like oh if this town can do it, we can do it.”
While food waste has been a growing issue worldwide, composting is becoming a well-known solution. Go Green OC has been using innovative composting initiatives to continue that mission.
Just over the few years of being in operation, they’ve helped the citywide compost program to divert over 650,000 pounds of food waste, partnered with World Centric to help shift businesses towards compostable products, partnered with more than 20 businesses, they’re now even bringing in their first hotel to the resort town to compost. “We want to be able to be a part of something that’s growing and making a difference and not just the status quo so it’s been great to see it,” says Heiderman. He adds, “Even if it is on such a small scale, I think it does inspire other people to make a change in their life by being the example in the community.”
Volunteers like Riley were inspired by the organization’s mission prompting them to sign on to help. We’re told, that seeing the whole process firsthand and contributing, changes their whole outlook on how to help others do the same. “Everyone here is so great, all of the volunteers, it’s such a great community of like-minded individuals that want to make an impact,” she says. Bartenbach adds, “If my being out here today on this not-so-pretty day doing not-so-pretty work encourages someone else to do this, then we achieved the goal.”
With that community support, even local and state leaders are noting these efforts by working on legislation to achieve zero waste on a larger scale. “Pushing legislation on labeling, first of all, what’s compostable, what isn’t, so us being on the forefront of that pushing that into legislation is great,” says Alyssa Howard, Compost Director of Go Green OC. Heiderman adds, “So it’s been nice to see both from the administrative side of the town and the community supporting the process and people who want to see growth.”
As of recent, the group composts with Oceans Calling Festival and Country Fest has grown their volunteer base significantly working with surrounding municipalities on expanding our program, and even hosting students at the farm who are interested in composting so this idea continues into the next generation. Riley says, “Whether it’s the recycling center in Berlin, or learning you can drop off your plastic bags back to the grocery store, there’s a lot of little things that you can do in your daily life that add up.” Howard adds, “We all have to leave it better than we left it, like leaving it better for the future generations and hopefully inspiring the younger people like oh this is what we should be doing.”
Until Ocean City achieves its zero-waste goal, Go Green OC continues its efforts, and its latest achievement is certainly helping it get there. “Now we’re trying to streamline the process, get more into the actual business side of things, getting registered to sell the compost and start hopefully getting that to local farmers.”
The founders of Go Green OC are hoping to get their finished product into the hands of small farmers, gardeners, and eventually sell it. With all the success seen so far, Go Green OC says the idea of being zero-waste in our life time in ocean city isn’t so far fetched.
