Steinbach's Solid Waste Supervisor says it's been a great year for offering compost to residents.

Eldon Wallman notes the city has been running compost depots on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm at Woodlawn School, Stonybrook Middle School and then in the Deerfield Park area. Those depots will continue until after Thanksgiving. Wallman says the results have been somewhat different this year.

"It's been a very level year," says Wallman. "There's no peaks, it might be because we've had erratic weather. And maybe the lawns aren't quite as plentiful as they used to be in past years."

Yet Wallman says the depots are still accumulating good tonnage, with a total of between 50 and 60 metric tonnes.

Wallman notes they had some compost that was left over last year that was screened at the beginning of summer. That has been available to the public for the last month. He says while there is still a little bit left, there is also a fresh pile from this year they they hope to screen shortly. For that to happen, Wallman says they need dry weather or the compost tends to clump up in the screener.

"We like to have it a little bit drier outside so that we get the biggest bang for our buck," he says.

Anyone wishing to pick up some compost can do so free of charge. Wallman says all you need is a shovel and some place to scoop the compost into.

"I've seen one person actually fill out the back seat of their old car," recalls Wallman. "They brought an old car and filled it up, they were that desperate for it."

According to Wallman, Steinbach's Rec Department will use about half the compost that is screened at the landfill. They use it for their tree planting projects and for city plantings.

Wallman says fall is both a good time to drop off compostable material but also to pick up compost. He notes the leaves are a brown carbon product that is needed in compost. Furthermore, he says gardeners will tell you fall is a good time to spread compost over lawns and gardens as it lasts longer and is better for them.

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