Keep Carbondale Beautiful initiates, plans, and directs cooperative efforts in litter control, recycling, community beautification, and environmental education.
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been serving the Southern Illinois community since 1987 (initially as "Carbondale Clean & Green") and we are an affiliate of Keep Illinois Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been serving the Southern Illinois community since 1987 (initially as "Carbondale Clean & Green") and we are an affiliate of Keep Illinois Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.
As Carbondale Citizens begin to Garden, Consider the Benefits of Composting!
(adapted from:)
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 28 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Composting Basics All composting requires three basic ingredients: Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs.
Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds. Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important for compost development. Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter.
Benefits of Composting Enriches soil, helping retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. Encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. Reduces methane emissions from landfills and lowers your carbon footprint.
How to Compost at Home There are many different ways to make a compost pile; we have provided the following for general reference. Helpful tools include pitchforks, square-point shovels or machetes, and water hoses with a spray head. Regular mixing or turning of the compost and some water will help maintain the compost. Backyard Composting Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin. Add brown and green materials as they are collected, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded. Moisten dry materials as they are added. Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material. Optional: Cover top of compost with a tarp to keep it moist. When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use. This usually takes anywhere between two months to two years. Indoor Composting How to Build a Worm Composting Bin
If you do not have space for an outdoor compost pile, you can compost materials indoors using a special type of bin, which you can buy at a local hardware store, gardening supplies store, or make yourself. Remember to tend your pile and keep track of what you throw in. A properly managed compost bin will not attract pests or rodents and will not smell bad. Your compost should be ready in two to five weeks.
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THANK YOU,
CARBONDALE!! for meeting Keep Carbondale Beautiful’s 30-Day Challenge. We heard from the following folks who reported on their group’s cleanup efforts. Liz, Brian, Sarah, Lee, Mike, Rockette, Trina, Dorcy, Clare, Bobbie, Carrie, Mark, Jerry, Darren, Greg, Richard, Fran, Dan, Beth, Jessica : |
 Every little bit helps.
The KCB Challenge
Keep Carbondale Beautiful thanks all those in the Carbondale community who participated in their 30-Day Challenge. Nearly 50 people reported that they had been out and picking up litter, and most said that they are doing it on a regular basis. Estimates are that hundreds of hours were put in. “But more importantly,” according to Executive Director Anne Krippenstapel, “the community came together. I am heartened by the stewardship of our citizens.” Some people were out every day, especially if walking a dog. Sunny warm days saw more participation, as recorded on Keep Carbondale Beautiful’s Facebook page. Sponsors of the30-Day Challenge cleanup include Burris Disposal, CIMCO Recycling, and Southern Recycling. KCB also gets critical funding from the City of Carbondale. All participants are eligible to receive a T-shirt or a tote-bag. Contact Anne Krippenstapel for more information: 618-525-3075 or keepcb1326@gmail.com. |
TREE & SHRUB SALE ... coming in October
Get Involved
If you've ever asked yourself: Where do I recycle in or around Carbondale? How can I clean up my local neighborhood? What can I do to be more environmentally friendly? On this website, you will find information on our programs, ways you can help the local environment, useful links, and much more.
There are a number of ways you can help keep Carbondale beautiful:
Look for upcoming volunteer opportunities on the Calendar of Events
Learn more about student internship opportunities
Become a member
Serve on the board of directors
Check out our Help Wanted list for ideas
No time? Financial support is also involvement! Contribute here
Announcements
We expect by September we'll be able to make the trip to Forrest Keeling Nursery. Please check out the Tree Sale page and think about planting trees in the fall.
Carbondale uses See Click Fix so that citizens can report a concern, or see what issues have been reported and what's being done. You can also download the SeeClickFix app to your phone. Please help raise awareness about this wonderful addition to a responsive and transparent city hall.
Partnerships
We take our mission seriously, but interpret it broadly to include other aspects of community greening and – as Keep America Beautiful puts it – building vibrant communities. So we partner with other groups, such as
- Built Environment Action Team to promote walkable and bikeable streets
- City of Carbondale to educate the public on recycling
- Illinois Native Plant Society, and U of I Extension to create guidelines for property owners wanting to create native habitat
- Illinois Master Naturalists to develop Champion Tree Contest
- Jackson County Healthy Communities Coalition in their grant
- Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts on environmental programming
- The Science Center to plan special exhibits
- ... and more to come, with your support.
