That’s our garbage, how dare you recycle it!

In the sunny enclave of Palm Beach County, a saga recently unfolded that epitomizes the age-old struggle between individual liberty and bureaucratic intervention. It’s the tale of Melissa Corichi, affectionately known as the “Worm Queen,” and her environmental endeavor, Let it Rot.

Let it Rot was a small business focused on composting organic waste through vermiculture, which is the process of using worms to break down food scraps and create nutrient-rich worm castings for soil enrichment. Operating in Palm Beach County, Florida, the business aimed to reduce landfill waste by collecting organic material from local residents and businesses, composting it, and selling the resulting compost.

In April 2022, Melissa received an alarming call from the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) of Palm Beach County. They demanded an inspection of her farm headquarters and ordered her to cease operations within the county. “I was initially surprised and confused,” Melissa recalls. “After operating for 8 years and growing the collection business to 250 customers, I was getting ready to scale up my operation. But they told me businesses like mine aren’t allowed to exist in Palm Beach County.” The SWA's argument was rooted in the Flow Code, a regulation that grants SWA exclusive control over waste processing. They accused her of undermining their waste-to-energy initiatives by diverting organic waste from incinerators, even though Let it Rot focused on composting using worms—vermiculture.

The implications of this monopolistic enforcement are far-reaching, with the SWA claiming all rights to the waste produced in the county. For Melissa, the situation quickly escalated, with SWA regulators visiting her clients and issuing threats of daily fines for engaging with her service. “It felt like they were implying I was stealing from them by offering my service,” Melissa said. "They even went to my family's property and harassed them, searching everywhere I had previously worked." The repeated cease-and-desist orders not only disrupted her business but also posed personal threats, pushing her into a tragic decision to shut down her operations entirely.

Melissa’s business was an innovative solution to a growing problem—composting organic waste to create worm castings, a valuable soil additive that could have significantly reduced the county's landfill burden. Melissa believes her operation should be exempt from regulation under Chapter 62-709 of Florida state law, which provides exemptions for small-scale composting. “We only processed less than 50 tons of food waste annually,” she notes. Despite this, the SWA’s broad interpretation of the Flow Code superseded her state exemption and severely limited her ability to continue working.

“I can't even bring my neighbor's food scraps to my yard for my compost without breaking the law,” Melissa laments. While she continues to compost her own food waste, the scale of her former business is no longer viable. "All my worms have died due to lack of food sources. I still compost my own personal food waste, but unfortunately, that's all I can do."

Despite the hardships, Melissa remains an advocate for teaching others about composting and vermiculture. "There are a lot of well-intentioned people out there," she says, "but most of them don't have the space, budget, or desire to compost on their own. That’s why my pick-up service was such a blessing to many." She now offers consulting services and teaches classes on composting and sustainable gardening across South Florida, hoping to empower others with the knowledge they need to live more sustainably.

This issue should concern everyone in Palm Beach County. It touches on core values that span the political spectrum. Liberals, who care about environmental sustainability, should see this as an opportunity to support greener practices that divert waste from landfills and incinerators. Conservatives, who believe in the power of small businesses, should take a stand against government overreach that crushes entrepreneurial spirit. Libertarians, who champion personal liberty, will recognize this as an atrocious violation of the right to freely operate a business without unnecessary governmental intervention.

The road ahead for Let it Rot remains uncertain, but there may be hope on the horizon. Melissa has been monitoring new EPA emission regulations that could impact the county's waste-to-energy facility. "Composting is a better alternative to burning food waste. I hope there’s a way to change the laws here and allow commercial composting to thrive."

As she reflects on her journey, Melissa offers a word of advice to others facing similar regulatory challenges: "Don't give up. Sometimes industries have to be disrupted before change can happen, and that isn’t always easy." Though the loss of her business was devastating, Melissa continues to push forward, hoping to one day make commercial composting legal in Palm Beach County. Until then, she remains active in the environmental community, working with food pantries to recover food donations and feed her flock of chickens and turkeys.

For those interested in learning more about worm composting or supporting Melissa’s cause, she invites them to follow her on social media, attend her classes, or subscribe to her email updates through her website.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LetitRot/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wormyqueen/ 
• Website: https://www.letitrot.org/ 

Melissa’s Available Classes:

• Kids Worm Farm Workshop: Hands-on activity where kids build a miniature worm ecosystem using recycled materials and food scraps.
• Build-a-Bin: Build your personal worm composting system and learn the ins and outs of vermiculture.
• Composting 101: An introduction to various composting techniques, perfect for beginners and experienced composters alike.
• Intro to Worms: Explore the fascinating world of worms and their role in soil health.
• Living Soil and Worm Tea Workshop: Learn about soil ecology and how to make worm tea to nourish plants. Includes a half-gallon of worm tea.
• Tropical Spinach and Alternative Greens: Learn how to grow and harvest tropical spinach varieties suited to Florida’s climate.
• Butterfly Host Plants: A guide to designing a butterfly garden with plants that attract and support butterflies in all stages of life.