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The article discusses the municipal compost policy in Charlotte, North Carolina. The city produces high quality compost and mulch from yard trimmings. It also provides education to residents and, through its Mecklenburg County Land Use and Environmental Services Department, the city harnesses volunteer power through a Master Composter program. The yard trimmings operation is directed by Steve Elliot. To augment the benefits of the yard trimming operations, the County Waste Reduction staff offers an educational feature, called Piedmont Landscaping and Naturescaping Training (PLANT) to harness the energy and enthusiasm of volunteers under the leadership of Ann Gill. The Master Composter Program, led by Gill and Mary Staubel, is an annual 12-week skills training course in composting, environmental stewardship and community waste reduction, inspired by the model of Seattle's program.