Jonesy Environmental Services

Jonesy Environmental Services started its mission on September 8, 2005 by Mark and Jolene Yelken for the main purpose of providing environmental services and education to the businesses and residents of Vashon Island and King County, Washington.

Vashon Island’s landfill is full and closed. All waste and recycling has to be hauled off of the island. It is the goal of Jonesy Environmental Services to create a full circle approach and turn the food and yard waste into compost by systems using worms and keep it on the island for use in resident’s yards and gardens. The waste (grocery store food waste, restaraunts prep waste, resident kitchen scraps and, ultimately, clean yard waste). Education is the critical portion to help make this program successful.

Jonesy Environmental Services plans to partnership with Earthcorp, Seattle Tilth, Washington Tilth, King County, Sustainable Vashon, Heifer International and like minded organizations for education opportunities for residents, businesses, schools, civic clubs and fairs regarding the benefit of worms, worm bins, composting and how this can help our environment. A sustainable, full circle approach.

In October 2005, a vermicompost system, that allows worms to compost 200 pounds of food waste per day, was purchased to help eliminate all food waste from the businesses and residents of Vashon Island. The “green” food waste is picked up from the grocery stores, restaurants, coffee and tea establishments, the local country club, Senior Care Center, the Food Bank and any and all residents. Pre-consumer food waste (“prep”) is collected daily at no charge to the businesses. Five gallon buckets with lids are left daily for their use. The full buckets are replaced by clean buckets. The green food waste is composted with worms to provide an end product, vermicompost, which is retained on the island and returned to the residents, at no profit, for their use in the gardens, yards and any other community purpose.


Jonesy Environmental Services will provide an ongoing education program for all residents of Vashon Island, Seattle and King County, but especially the kids, on the benefits of helping the environment, the use and benefits of worms, the use of worm bins, composting, organic gardening and any other educational subjects that will help Vashon Island become self-sustaining. A program is under way to help inner city, as well as, all kids learn the benefits of farming, gardening, composting and how worms can help create the full circle approach.

“If we change the kids, we can change the world” - The Worm Guy

A second unit to vermicompost an additional 200 pounds of food waste per day was purchased in April 2006. Additional units will be purchased as needed.

2 units that compost 15 – 20 pounds of food waste per day have been purchased to start satellite units in neighborhoods. Jonesy Environmental Services will educate the participants and oversee the process. It is the goal of Jonesy Environmental Services to have 5 units in neighborhoods by the end of 2007. Currently, we have three neighborhoods identified and the education process will begin in March.

Jonesy Environmental Services goal is for every resident on Vashon Island, Washington to be recycling food waste, and have access to a worm bin.