Community Building

PHOTOS: The Dirt Factory in Action, University City District’s New Community Composting Center

By Shannon Collins, Photos by Neal Santos |
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City residents who want to compost have limited options. Living in an apartment or house with little or no outdoor space makes maintaining a healthy compost challenging, if not impossible.

Not anymore, thanks to the University City District’s The Dirt Factory — a new facility that will compile organic waste from the community in one spot.

The District celebrated the start of summer yesterday by unloading their first delivery of compost ingredients at The Dirt Factory, located at 4308 Market Street.

City residents aren’t the only ones benefiting — University City businesses can participate without increasing their waste disposal costs. Local gardens will benefit, too. Composted soil generated at The Dirt Factory is planned to be used in existing gardens throughout the area.

In addition to creating compost, The Dirt Factory goes beyond, well, dirt. The facility is also a community education center where residents can learn more about composting, gardening, and meet other green thumb neighbors. Educational events are scheduled throughout the fall, with two workshops — one on composting basics and the other on planting cool season crops — starting on the morning of July 7th.

To round out the offerings, UCD has collaborated with several sustainability organizations:

  • The Pedal Co-op to collect compostable materials from University City residents and businesses who wish to have their materials picked up and delivered (via bicycle) to the site.
  • University of Pennsylvania donated two large Earth Tubs, which will allow the site to produce up to 3,200 pounds of compost a month.
  • Bennet Compost will be contributing their services by offering $10 five-gallon buckets to area residents to fill with kitchen scraps and food waste, which the company picks up weekly from your home.
And if you’re interested in using future, finished compost for your own purposes, you can contact The Dirt Factory and arrange for a pick-up when material becomes available.

The Dirt Factory
Where: 4308 Market Street
When: Open for drop-off from 5 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday
More info: www.universitycity.org/dirt-factory

Photos by Neal Santos 

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