Sunset in the City of Manassas. Photo obtained from City of Manassas social media (@cityofmanassas).
Manassas has shown in a multitude of ways that community and accessibility is at the forefront of the City’s operations when it comes to food, transportation, green spaces and, of course, composting.
In 2021, the City took a big step to reduce waste by adding composting to its recycling efforts. As part of this pilot program, the City is funding the start-up costs of curbside composting including the cost of the collection bin and delivery of the bin to the customer’s home. The City also funds the first three months of service for each of the first 300 participating households! The City and Compost Crew currently have capacity to accept more residents who are interested in signing up for the program.
The City, with its 22 local parks within 10 miles and over 42,000 residents, has a clear commitment to reducing litter, beautifying the City and empowering citizens to take control of their environment through positive and productive activities. In fact, The City of Manassas is an affiliate of the national organization, Keep America Beautiful. This not only beautifies cities by keeping litter off our streets, but also restores and revitalizes green spaces by establishing community gardens and planting trees during their annual Arbor Day and Tree City USA Celebration. This event is held during Earth Month, during which the City has had trees around the community. Children get involved by learning about the benefits of trees then using this knowledge to create art for the annual themed poster contest for students in grade school.
The City of Manassas hosts an Arbor Day poster contest for grade school students with the theme, “What are Trees Good For?” Photo obtained from City of Manassas social media (@cityofmanassas).
The annual Manassas Bee Festival is another learning opportunity for community members. Compost Crew has been able to attend and teach families about what composting is good for. That is, being able to process their food scraps into healthy soil that will support healthy gardens and farms that grow local food for humans and the stars of the show, bees! Local vendors like us were able to advertise sustainable services, provide environmental education and sell local honey!
Organic Sales Representative, Nora, visits the annual Manassas Bee Festival.
Since 1987, The City of Manassas has hosted weekly Farmer’s Markets with a mission to create opportunities for artists and entrepreneurs to sell their products and to give their residents access to fresh, locally-grown produce. This Farmer’s Market supports food access initiatives like SNAP, Virginia Fresh Match and Senior & WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program to accommodate residents who may need assistance.
Local farmers offer local produce to residents during the weekly Manassas Farmers Market. Photo obtained from City of Manassas social media (@cityofmanassas).
Each week, Compost Crew hauls wasted food and scraps from the Manassas Farmers Market. So far, they have diverted over 46,000 pounds of food scraps from the market alone. Businesses who compost in the area, like Amazon Fresh, and the residents who have diverted over 115,000 pounds have collectively multiplied the amount of food being diverted from local landfills. This is certainly something for this Prince Williams County community to be proud of.
The City of Manassas has been recognized for their efforts with awards like the Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community award by the League of American Bicyclists! Having accessible streets for those who choose biking as a sustainable mode of transportation allows residents of all ages to feel safe and heard. They’ve continued to increase the amount of both bike and walking trails with:
- 14.4 miles of shared use paths
- 6.4 miles of bike lanes
- 13.8 miles of signed shared roads
Local lawyer, Martin Crim, bikes to work during Bike to Work Day. Photo obtained from City of Manassas social media (@cityofmanassas).
Ecological community activities like Walk to Work Day, Bike to Work Day and the Farmer’s Market along with efforts like subsidized composting invites all demographics to get involved in building community wealth and wellness. Manassas residents have no issue being along for the ride!
Ready to Start Your Composting Journey in Manassas?
The City of Manassas has recently expanded their Curbside Food Waste Composting Collection Program with Compost Crew and are accepting new sign-ups from single family homes and all townhouse communities in the City.
Learn more and sign-up for your first 3 months of composting and 5-gallon bin, for free, by visiting www.manassasva.gov/compost.
Did You Know?
Manassas is home to one of the facilities, Balls Ford Road Yard Waste Composting Facility, where Compost Crew drops off food scraps. Our fellows and staff visited this facility to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to process thousands of tons of food scraps and landscaping scraps into compost!
Compost Crew Fellows and Staff visit Balls Ford Road Yard Waste Composting Facility.
