Categories: NewsPhilly

The Dirt Factory Opens in Philly’s University City

Nope it’s not a trendy new club or restaurant opening, this is better friends… The Dirt Factory means good news for Philadelphia composting.

The Dirt Factory is University City’s new composting center. If you’re new to the green game, composting turns organic waste into compost or humus as its also known – which is a useful conditioner for soil. This helps keep said waste from landfills, which is a better alternative to garbage disposals (regardless of what the city may tell you...)

Part of the Dirt Factory’s mission is to make use of fallen leaves, food scraps and other organic waste. These materials will be used to generate quality compost for University City’s gardens. Through the Earth Tub Compost System, the Dirt Factory will compost year round – aiding in reaching the city’s sustainability goals.

So, what can you drop off?

Bagged leaves and wood chips.
Food scraps and organic material for a monthly fee. (Call the Pedal Co-Op at 507-581-4421 for more info.)
Up to 5 gallons of organic waste per business or individual accepted weekly.

The current drop-off time is 5-6pm every Wednesday evening.

Interested in learning more about the composting process? Attend the Dirt Factory’s composting workshop with compost expert Christine Tilles on Saturday July 7 at 10am. Following the composting session, Master gardener Julie Cox will discuss cool season vegetable crops at 11:30am.

For more, check out The Dirt Factory website.

Photo: University City

Beth Funari

Beth is a Health and Wellness expert who believes sustainability goes hand-in-hand with self care. She’s the girl whipping up kombucha cocktails at parties, and extolling the benefits of canning vegetables to anyone who will listen.