Broomfield group hosts community cleanup, composting class

Sep. 22--Editor's note: More information has been added to the story.

Sustainable Broomfield, an eco-friendly citizen group, is inviting the community to a trash-pickup event as a way to participate in National Cleanup Month.

Group founder Brianna Hallinan said the organization partners with Broomfield's Action Committee on Environmental Sustainability, or ACES, to make it easier for those who want to compost to divert waste to bins at the Crescent Grange where it will be used to fertilize community gardens.

People who want to participate are asked to meet at the Broomfield Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave., at 10 a.m. Saturday.

"We plan to clean up the Grange lot and spread out into the surrounding neighborhood as time permits," Hallinan said. "Besides just picking up litter, we will be doing a brand audit to categorize which companies are producing the plastics we find as pollution in our area."

People are asked to wear a mask and bring their own reusable gloves, although the group will have disposal gloves if residents need them. People can RSVP by emailing [email protected].

Hallinan said group members first had the idea of a litter cleanup when they met Sumi Vora, a Stargate High School senior who started her own nonprofit group, Project Planet Advocacy. The group is entirely student run and is hosting virtual community clean-ups by offering to provide participants with free gloves and trash bags.

Sustainable Broomfield signed up with the program, which provided them with materials to advertise the event.

The Broomfield Crescent Grange has had a hard time making money with building rentals since the start of COVID-19, Hallinan said, and was looking for a fundraising opportunity. Members of the Grange will hold a community yard sale and bake sale fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

El Taco Social food truck will serve breakfast burritos and a full menu from 9 a .m. to 2 p.m., Hallinan said.

When the cleanup wraps up, Hallinan will host a Free Backyard Composting Class outside the Grange. It is designed for people who want to try composting on their own for the first time or have questions about the process. A plastic auditing of trash collected will be available from noon to 1 p.m.

Fall is a great time to start, or at least stock-up for next season, since dried leaves are a key ingredient for any backyard composter, she said. Sustainable Broomfield will also accept bags of leaves residents want to donate for its own composting practices.

BROOMFIELD, CO -- September 21, 2020: Brianna Hallinan, founder of Sustainable Broomfield, pours a bucket of plant and vegetable clippings into a composting bin at the Grange. The group collects buckets of composting scraps from about 60 Broomfield residents, which volunteers then compost for the community garden at the Broomfield Crescent Grange. (Jennifer Rios/ Broomfield Enterprise)

The Sustainable Broomfield Compost Club, which started out with about a dozen participants in June, is now at capacity with closer to 60 residents collecting scraps.

Because of the number of members the compost bins have reached their carrying capacity, especially since the process slows in the winter, and the group is unable to accept more applications. Jessica Slattery, youth initiatives leader and content producer with Sustainable Broomfield, said the group is hoping to expand the program with other community gardens in the spring.

She has also reached out to high school eco groups to recruit volunteers to empty buckets and turn the entire compost bin. A group member built a wooden bin that is separated into three compartments -- one that is filled, one that "cooks" and the third that is essentially finished. Volunteers have collected 756 gallons of household items for composting since the program began.

Sustainable Broomfield will now hold meetings indoors at the Broomfield Crescent Grange for the remainder of the year. The next meeting is 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 28 and masks are required. One item on the agenda is to discuss the new Sustainable Broomfield Business Recognition Program the group plans to launch.

"We plan to have businesses fill out an application and then promote those who meet the criteria of being a sustainable business," Hallinan said. "This program is still in its infancy, and we would like to get feedback from business owners and residents at our meeting. We would also like to hear from the public about ideas they have to make Broomfield a more sustainable place."

If you go

What: Small Action Saturday community cleanup

When: 10 to noon Saturday

Where: Broomfield Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave.

More info: A free composting class will be held after from noon to 1 p.m.

To learn more, including a video of how to backyard compost, visit sustainablebroomfield.com.

To learn more on National Cleanup Month visit nationalcleanupday.org.

___

(c)2020 the Broomfield Enterprise (Broomfield, Colo.)

Visit the Broomfield Enterprise (Broomfield, Colo.) at www.broomfieldenterprise.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.