An Annapolis environmental group has come up with a one-of-a-kind gift: compost made from the crab shells at last summer’s Annapolis Rotary Club Crab Feast.
Annapolis Green collected 14.5 tons of compostable material, largely made up of crab shells, from more than 2,000 people who chowed down at the crab feast. Those 14.5 tons would have gone to a landfill, but the material can now enrich your garden instead.
Annapolis Green has packaged the compost in “gift-ready, festive 15-pound reusable sandbags,” decorated with a red bow and a tag explaining the crabby origins of the compost. Bags are $10 each, plus tax, and can be pre-ordered by clicking here.
The 29,000 pounds of waste was sent to the pros at Veteran Compost back in August. In addition to crab shells, the broken-down materials also include corn cobs, watermelon rinds, compostable plates, cups, and cutlery, and napkins.
Annapolis Green says they’ve tried out compost on their own vegetable and pollinator gardens, on Maryland Avenue in the heart of downtown Annapolis, and had great success. The crab shells give the compost extra calcium, a key nutrient for plants.
The project is part of the group’s ongoing “Zero Waste” effort. Annapolis Green partners with local events to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. The proceeds from each bag of Christmas Crab Compost support that effort.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
