OUR MISSION

Akil holding a Box of Life Worm Studio
 

HI, I'M AKIL!

Akil is the founder of The Box Of Life, a social enterprise in Ottawa helping Ottawa communities improve food security and their environmental impact by providing them with a suite of indoor and outdoor composting solutions to turn food waste into worm castings, a powerful soil amendment that helps sequester atmospheric carbon into our soils.

Anxious, frustrated, and saddened by the inaction in the fighting against climate change, he was inspired to do something to inspire communities to action through the simple act of building a deeper connection to nature and our food in the urban world.

Akil started composting with the intent of reducing his landfill contribution (organic matter rotting in landfills releases methane and contributes to 3% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions). Since then he has learnt that compost is also very important for soil health and when added to soil can sequester atmospheric CO2 and lock it beneath our feet. What started out as an at-home vermi-composting experiment a few years ago has now turned into a full time profession that he's really passionate about!

 

|| We acknowledge that our enterprise is operating on the traditional, unceded territories of the Algonquin nation, and as guests of this land, we promise to help heal it for the next seven generations ||

 

 The box of life our mission

PEOPLE + PLANET + PROFIT

The Box Of Life is a social enterprise and what that means is that we believe in caring for the people and our planet first and foremost, while making enough profits to pay the rent, grab a beer, and keep the lights on.

 

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS
We purchase our materials from local, small businesses that share common goal of protecting our planet's ecosystem.
 
SUSTAINABLY SOURCED MATERIALS
The cedar we use is grown on sustainably managed forests and milled locally. It pains us to use virgin materials but we take some solace in knowing that you, the customer, will create compost that will nourish the lands for generations to come.
 
ZERO-WASTE MANUFACTURING
Our design minimizes the wastage of wood. The leftover scraps are used to make useful by products like soap dishes, photo frames and art. The sawdust is used in compost during summer and a substitute for salt on driveways during winter.
 
BUILDING COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS
We engage with communities to build zero-waste, resilient food systems.
 
CREATING EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
We offer workshops and webinars to the community on vermi-composting.
 

HAVE A GREAT IDEA? GET IN TOUCH!

We're always looking to improve our sustainability and social outcomes and would love to do more. If you have some ideas, get in touch.