Brush Chipping

Island Green’s Brush Chipping Pilot Program was created to explore chipping, mulching and composting as a sustainable means to keep a vital resource – vegetative debris – from filling the territory’s already overflowing landfills and causing a fire hazard, instead allowing it to be put to good use on St. John. The pilot, which was designated a Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action and was funded through the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands grants and private donations, provided rich processed material to the community, cutting the island’s carbon footprint and providing a means for sustainable management of vegetative debris, particularly vital in the aftermath of hurricanes. The ultimate goal of Island Green’s pilot was to provide a roadmap for permanent programs on St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) was secured during the first phase along with the purchase of equipment and creation of a chipping yard at the Susannaberg Transfer Station (STS). A powerful Vermeer Brush Chipper was purchased, with shipping and delivery compliments of Crowley Logistics, Boyson Inc. and local trucker Michael Marsh. A community awareness campaign was launched to educate landscapers and others on how, when and where to bring vegetative debris, and staff were hired and helped process the material. The Iowa State University EARTH Program, managed by former Island Green Board Member Dr. David Minner, used an ISU Capstone class to develop the plan that served as the basis for this pilot program. Dr. Minner was a key player in the success of the venture.

This organic chipped material became a resource rather than refuse. It was used as feedstock for Island Green Living’s one year compost demonstration project with Sustainable Generation (SG) and Gore-Tex and sold to the community at the ReSource Depot for use in erosion control, soil moisture retention, soil amendment and as a plant growing media.