What do dirt, banana peels, and saving the world have in common? Compost! When organic material is decomposed, it is known as compost. Anything from leaves, twigs, kitchen scraps, and just about anything that was once living can be turned into compost. Organic waste, combined with soil, water, and air begins the composting process. Microorganisms from the soil eat the organic waste and all of the elements combine as the materials go through the process of natural decay. Once the organic material has decomposed, which can take anywhere from two to three weeks, to months, it can then be used as a natural fertilizer for sustainable gardening.
Many of our franchisees are putting environmental sustainability at the top of their lists of business practices. We blend almost all of our smoothies with a fresh banana, leaving behind dozens of banana peels each day. These, along with the left over coffee grounds from our delicious Hawaiian brews, can all be composted!
Franchisee, DuAnne, in Wimberley, Texas, ensures that nothing goes to waste when making coffees and smoothies. “Whether it’s at an event or our store location, we always save the used coffee grounds and banana peels so that people who would like to use them as compost can easily come by and pick them up,” DuAnne said. Members of the Wimberley community stop by DuAnne’s Maui Wowi store and take about 20 lbs. per week of compost material. Her banana peels and left over coffee grounds are used in community gardens throughout the area.
The importance of “Going Green” is rising in awareness across the globe. Composting and recycling are great ways to reuse everyday materials in a healthy and sustainable way. Our everyday trash is comprised mostly of recycled goods, like paper and plastic or compostable goods, like left over banana peels and coffee grounds. Giant landfills of trash can be minimized by simply separating what is trash and what isn’t right from inside your kitchen.
Don’t know the first step to composting? It’s easy! First make a list of what you can compost. Knowing the difference between trash, compost, and recycling is very important and having separate bins for each is a good idea. Once your bins are full, you can research local companies or organizations that will pick them up to use as compost or you can compost them yourself in a special container outside. Many Maui Wowi Hawaiian franchisees make sure that nothing goes to waste when making coffee and smoothies and they are always looking for new ways to make their businesses more sustainable.