People often think that individuals can’t make a difference when it comes to big environmental issues, but Newton resident Carmen Clay, with the help of her family and friends, shows that this is not true.
Carmen’s grandchildren, Thomas and Caroline, first learned about composting in preschool and later advocated for their elementary school to start composting. They became even more inspired to bring composting to their grandparents’ apartment complex, The Towers of Chestnut Hill. In July 2025, they got to work to put a plan in place, and since that time, their efforts have proven to be extraordinarily successful, with a current total of 100 of the 423 apartments at The Towers having become Composting Champions!
“Composting is about people,” said Carmen. “It’s about neighbors learning from one another and discovering that a small daily action can become part of something much bigger.”
Together with her husband Mark and Dr. Ronna Krozy, Carmen proposed a six-month pilot program to the Towers board, which provided seed funding. Forty-eight units immediately signed up for the pilot and received a welcome package that included kitchen bins, composting liners, funding for shared big community composting bin pickups by Black Earth Compost, and informational pamphlets.
Thomas and Caroline participated in a program called Take Action Global Climate Action Schools, which taught them how to create flyers and have conversations with residents about composting. Guidance from their friend Dr. Tamara Bond and The Towers management and facilities teams, as well as a generous donation of composting liners from Trader Joe’s furthered their progress.
While composting isn’t hard, many people had never composted before and had all kinds of questions. Residents weren’t sure what could be composted or what supplies they needed. Carmen noted that it can be hard to know which materials can be composted at first, but it’s important to learn, because the wrong materials can contaminate the large shared bins. Even with a bit of a learning curve, she says that “shared responsibility can gradually grow into camaraderie around a common purpose.” They hope that participation in The Towers Composting program will steadily increase in the months to come.
Together with recycling, composting reduces what ends up in landfills and helps preserve our environment. When asked what she would tell other communities that want to do something similar, Carmen highlights the importance of grandparents learning from grandchildren, neighbors encouraging each other, and understanding that every little bit helps. Ultimately, she says, “Every food scrap that moves from the trash into the compost stream is one less piece of organic waste in our garbage—and one more contribution to a healthier community.”
Sofia Jackson is a Newton resident and a student at Beloit College, class of 2029.