Waste Not, Grow Lots: Turning Local Scraps into Soil Solutions
May 20, 2025
A Collaborative Effort in Sustainable Urban Farming
UVic Geography PhD candidate Brooke Hayes is partnering with local organizations FED Urban Agriculture and Shellter Rapid Composting Inc. to explore how food waste can be transformed into a sustainable fertilizer. The project, based at FED’s farm in Vic West, compares crop yields and soil health using a conventional fertilizer and Shellter’s newly created compost blend, which is made from coffee chaff and oyster shells diverted from Victoria’s waste stream.
Reintroducing Nutrients to Local Soils
The Shellter product was developed using rapid composting technology and pathogen-deactivation processes refined in the Prairies. The blend’s composition—acidic coffee waste balanced by alkaline oyster shells—creates a nutrient-rich soil amendment. This research seeks to determine whether such a product can improve soil fertility while reducing reliance on externally sourced fertilizers.
Research with Community Impact
This study integrates academic research with grassroots innovation and supports goals outlined in circular economy frameworks. With nearly 40% of British Columbia’s landfill content classified as organic waste, the project demonstrates the potential of reintroducing those nutrients into the local food system.
The initiative also addresses the growing challenges of supply chain instability, soil nutrient depletion, and urban food insecurity. This work exemplifies how Geography at UVic extends beyond the classroom and into the field—literally, with UVic researchers helping to shape practical, place-based solutions to some of today’s most urgent environmental issues.