20000只蠕虫如何改变这栋建筑

We’re kicking off a new series of stories focusing on sustainable rooftops and initiatives in a dialogue with AMA Plaza’s Assistant Property Manager Yordanos Ghdey with Riverview Realty Property Management. Yordanos walks us through the ins and outs of the AMA Plaza’s worm composting program housed on the 48^th floor (20,000年虫, to be exact) – the city’s first large-scale commercial composting program.

蚯蚓堆肥的想法是如何产生的?

Yordanos Ghdey: 我们从2008年开始研究堆肥的概念, a time when commercial composting capability didn’t exist in the Chicago metropolitan area.  随着我们对可持续发展认识的增加, we discovered worm composting or vermicomposting through a worm composting consultant.  In 2009, we became the first large-scale commercial worm composting program in the City with 5,000年虫, 后来又增加到20个,000.

建立一个蠕虫堆肥操作涉及到什么?

Yordanos Ghdey: We first had to understand the requirements to successfully host vermicomposting within the building, 包括维护责任, 确保蠕虫的生存环境安全. 我们在48州定了个地点^th floor mechanical room that provides a comfortable and consistent tempered environment. 因为蠕虫是自我管理的, 我们只需要一个容器, 用作食物和营养物的垫料和废料. The worms at AMA Plaza are Eisenia Fetida worms – also known as red worms.

这涉及到什么样的维护啊?

Yordanos Ghdey: 维护是最少的. 管理人员, 还有一个来自cafe330的员工, checks on the worms once or twice per week to evaluate their food consumption as well as their environment. 如果提供了太多的食物, it may become moldy which can create a vulnerable system open to infestations from other microorganisms. 如果食物变得无氧, 它可能会开始发臭, but the food is still edible by the worms so we simply add a generous amount of damp cardboard or paper shreddings over it and adjust the feeding schedule accordingly. 我们也会在这个时候检查堆肥水平. 如果堆肥产生的数量不有效, that is a warning sign that additional care is needed in the health of the worms.

另外,  third party assistance is provided by a vermicomposting professional once or twice a year – or on an as needed basis – to check on the worms and confirm the compost level the worms are producing is sufficient. We also have the support of our management team members and one of our Café’s employees who feed the worms dinner from left-over food and ensure their bedding and moisture content of their environment is adequate.

虫子吃什么食物啊?

Yordanos Ghdey: The worms can digest any compostable foods including fruits and vegetables that are broken down into smaller pieces as well as coffee grinds. Shredded paper and cardboard are added to the top of the bin to provide a source of fiber, 营造一个黑暗潮湿的环境，防止果蝇的出现. We also add coconut shreddings to provide additional nutrients in the event the compost is too thick or in need of supplementary moisture. 他们不应该吃肉, 家禽, 鱼, 乳制品, 垃圾食品或任何柑橘类含量高的水果，比如橙子, 酸橙和柠檬. 不可生物降解的材料不应进入垃圾箱. 这些蠕虫每年吃掉大约5200磅的食物.

为什么这项倡议对AMA广场如此重要?

Yordanos Ghdey: Not only does composting connect the office environment to the natural environment, 它还促进了我们广场植物床上更健康的植物生长. 蠕虫的铸件, 哪些是堆肥, 有高保水能力，这在干旱的情况下是有益的. The compost also has a slow nutrition release meaning the nutrients are released slowly so the plants receive what they need over a period of time. In comparison, chemical fertilizers oversaturate plants with a large amount of nutrients at once. 当下雨的时候, the nutrients are washed out of the soil and chemicals can seep into drinking water pipes.

你如何使用堆肥?

Yordanos Ghdey: Compost is easily removed from the bottom of the bin because the worms are drawn towards the top where the food source is located. 一旦堆肥落到垃圾桶底部, 我们把它移走，储存起来，用于室外景观. 当花儿在春天重新盛开时, 夏天, 和秋天, the compost is mixed with the soil to provide an organic soil conditioner as well as a natural fertilizer.

你的建筑还具有哪些绿色特征?

Yordanos Ghdey: We have several green initiatives here at AMA Plaza and are proud to be leaders within the City of Chicago with many of them.  We offer a robust recycling program which includes complimentary battery and electronic waste recycling. Food composting is also offered within tenant spaces which we operate on a weekly schedule to make the concept much easier on the tenants and in return, 增加参与.  其他功能还包括6,500平方英尺的植被屋顶, green cleaning program; water conservation programs, 闭环纸张和产品采购, 减少交通流量的措施和物料再利用程序.

What are some considerations for other buildings who want to implement worm composing?

Yordanos Ghdey: 蠕虫的初始设置是最小的, and we were able to use food and other materials recycled from the building, 所以这是一个非常低成本的项目.

本, 哪一种是独立无味的, is well ventilated and the worms are very aware of the size of the bin they are in. Because worms are hermaphroditic and can produce a cocoon every 7 to 10 days, 有人会认为他们很快就会人口过剩, 然而, 他们天生就有控制人口的能力. Availability of food, size of their bin and the fouling of their environment decreases reproduction.

Commercial composting does have additional costs for bio-bags (which hold the material and degrade along with the organic material) and for removal.  This cost is somewhat offset by a reduction in waste removed from the property.

你如何让你的房客参与堆肥?

Yordanos Ghdey: Due to the smaller scale of worm composting, tenants are not directly involved with that program. Tenants are made aware of the program and images are shared on social media and the lobby slides. In 2014, we hosted an event to introduce tenants to a larger scale food composting process and benefits, 并邀请他们参与. 我们还与废物管理部门合作提供奖励, 谁负责为大厦收集食物堆肥. Once tenants realized how simple the process is and that it does not require much effort on their part, 他们对这个想法持开放态度. 目前有八家公司在大楼内进行堆肥, 包括管理处和酒店. We continue to engage our tenants through education, tours and presentations.