Neither wind nor rain kept the residents of Vienna from coming out to buy backyard compost bins on Saturday morning and afternoon.
“There has been a steady flow of people,” said Milan Vanco, a member of the Vienna Jaycees.
The Fairfax County Recycling Program hosted the sale, which was a fund-raiser for the Vienna Jaycees. The Jaycees, an international organization, challenges members, ages 21-39, to create their own service and social programs. The Vienna Jaycees run the Vienna Farmers Market on Saturdays.
“On a day like this, the number of people who go to the farmers market goes down significantly,” said Karyn Becker. “But I couldn’t believe the number of people that showed up.”
Town residents were able to purchase the compost bins for $35, much less than the $80 retail price.
THE EARTH MACHINE bins sold at the fund-raiser are used to divert waste from households into compost to add nutrients to lawns and gardens. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that someone using the composter can turn approximately 650 pounds of waste per year into compost.
“It is a great service,” said Christina Mumm, a Jaycee working Saturday's event.
“My wife is a gardener, and these look like they will get the job done,” said Woody Bentley, a Vienna resident and the chairman of the Vienna Rotary Club.
According to Vanco, 312 of the compost bins were purchased in Vienna on Saturday. He added that next weekend the compost bins will be sold at locations in Sterling and Leesburg.
For more information about the Fairfax County Recycling Program, call 703-803-3322, TTY 711.