R4 Worms in the City strives to reduce waste by facilitating urban indoor composting with worms. By being an active demonstration site, the project provides anyone interested in the practice with the required knowledge, materials and skills to begin and continue vermicomposting, and to move towards a more sustainable future.

The R4 Worm Compost project at the Concordia Greenhouse has existed since 2006. The program has succeeded despite minimal promotion, successfully attracting community members through word of mouth to its workshops, and to partake in the worm swap program. With the Worm Swap, the community is offered home vermicompost kits at cost price, which can be used year-round to divert their organic waste from the landfill and to produce nutrient-rich fertilizer for their plants. When worms reproduce, the extra worms can be sold back to the project – hence the idea of calling it a “swap”.

Years funded: 2007-08, 2008-2009, 2009-10, 2010-11

Amounts allocated: 

2010-11

Compost: $20,000.00

Waste Management Education Coordinator Position: $5,560.00

Dish Project: $2,573.00

2009-10

Compost Project: $25,000.00

2008-09

Compost Project: $25,000.00

2007-08

$34,000.00

Project leader: Noémie Messier-Guimont