Waste School – Hiriya

Studies focusing on compost, with cooperation from "Eretz Carmel".

From a one-time course to an extensive study of compost and ecological gardening, our school is opening the first in-depth course on the subject of compost as a result of taxation on dumping. Could it be that, in the Dan Metropolitan Area, people will one day separate their dry and wet waste at home? The dry waste will be moved to a recycling park and used to create RDF, and the wet waste will be turned into compost or energy. The compost is the only product that each citizen can make himself at home or in the garden, and thus significantly reduce the amount of waste he produces. The course is suitable for any person interested in the subject, whether he/she lives in a house or apartment. Those who graduate the course will receive a Certified Compost Operator certificate from Hiriya.

Basic Internship:
Preparing household compost – a fascinating 4-class course full of practical experience on how to prepare compost. During the classes, we will deal with the subject of viability, while emphasizing the waste problem. We will come to understand the social environment crisis in Israel and in the world as a whole, and take a tour of Hiriya's garbage mountain, the transfer station, and the recycling center. We will learn different methods of preparing compost, and get to know the different types of compost and their differences. We will examine different types of composters – tanks to create household compost – and experience compost preparation in the right way. Afterwards, we will deal with ecological gardening, a potted vegetable garden/yard, and different methods of using compost. Furthermore, we will have an empowering and inspiring meeting in the field of social ecology. The internship will be on Friday mornings, 9am – 12 noon.

First internship: 4th December, 11th December, 1st January, 8th January.
Second internship: 5th February, 12th February, 5th March, 12th March.
Third internship: 7th May, 14th May, 4th June, 11th June.

Cost: 450 NIS.
Limited places.

Advanced Internship:
Composting instructors. A six-class internship, designed for the composting alumni who are interested in becoming composting instructors who will work at propagating the subject and knowledge. During the course, the participants will receive background knowledge on waste problems in general, and on organic waste in particular. They will deepen their understanding of the processes that occur during composting, and will learn different methods for creating compost on different scales. Furthermore, the participants will conduct lab examinations of compost, and learn the differences between different compost types, and their uses for gardens, trees, or agriculture. The course will include a tour at the Eretz Carmel non-profit organization's composting site, which works using several methods: classic composting, rapid composting, composting with worms, and more. There will also be meetings with compost manufacturers and researchers. Participants will acquire lecturing tools such as standing in front of an audience, building guidance processes, and different methods of passing on knowledge. The subjects they will study include: what is compost, advantages of compost, lab values of compost, how to produce good compost, what is ripe compost, what is the difference between decomposing and rotting, worm compost, advantages and disadvantages, physical experience of creating compost from different materials, and harvesting compost. At the end of the course, participants will receive a Compost Guide certificate from Hiriya.

The internship will take place on the following dates: 23rd April, 30th April, 7th May, 14th May, 21st May, and 28th May.