Don’t Bag It- Compost It

Fall is here which means lots of leaves to rake up.  But instead of disposing of them in the landfill, choose a more environmentally friendly option and compost them (along with all other yard waste and kitchen scraps).  Besides reducing landfill space, composting also provides free, organic fertilizer. In fact, you can easily compost without spending a cent.

At least 20-50% of the solid waste sent to landfills is made of tree leaves, grass clippings, other landscape debris and kitchen wastes.  All these items can easily be composted!  

It’s easy to compost. Basically there’s three main steps:

- Set up your compost area- whether it be a bin or pile.

- Add leaves, grass, kitchen scraps, and other compost-able items.  

- Turn the pile at least once a week and keep it wet.

If there’s enough heat and you do everything else correctly, the pile will be noticeably broken down within a few weeks, and you’ll have organic, healthy soil.

Common Materials that can be Composted 

Type of Material Use it? Carbon/ Nitrogen Details Algae, seaweed and lake moss Yes N Good nutrient source. Ashes from untreated, unpainted wood Careful Neutral Fine amounts at most. Can make the pile too alkaline and suppress composting. Beverages, kitchen rinse water Yes Neutral Good to moisten the middle of the pile. Don’t over-moisten the pile. Bird droppings Careful N May contain weed seeds or disease organisms. Cardboard Yes C Shred into small pieces if you use it. Wetting it makes it easier to tear. If you have a lot, consider recycling instead. Coffee ground and filters Yes N Worms love coffee grounds and coffee filters. Compost activator Not required, but ok. Neutral You don’t really need it, but it doesn’t hurt. Cornstalks, corn cobs Yes C Best if shredded and mixed well with nitrogen rich materials. Diseased plants Careful N If your pile doesn’t get hot enough, it might not kill the organisms, so be careful. Let it cure several months, and don’t use resulting compost near the type of plant that was diseased. Dryer lint Yes C Compost away! Moistening helps. Eggshells Yes O Break down slowly. Crushing shells helps. Hair Yes N Scatter so it isn’t in clumps. Manure (horse, cow, pig, sheep, goat, chicken, rabbit) Yes N Great source of nitrogen. Mix with carbon rich materials so it breaks down better. Milk, cheese, yogurt Careful Neutral Put it deep in the pile to avoid attracting animals. Newspaper Yes C Shred it so it breaks down easier. It is easy to add too much newspaper, so recycle instead if you have a lot. Don’t add slick colored pages. Oak leaves Yes C Shredding leaves helps them break down faster. They decompose slowly. Acidic. Sawdust and wood shavings (untreated wood) Yes C You’ll need a lot of nitrogen materials to make up for the high carbon content. Don’t use too much, and don’t use treated woods. Pine needles and cones Yes C Don’t overload the pile. Also acidic and decomposes slowly. Weeds Careful N Dry them out on the pavement, then add later. Sod Careful N Make sure the pile is hot enough, so grass doesn’t continue growing.

For reasons of health, hygiene and the inability to break down, don’t compost: meat and meat scraps; bones; fish and fish bones; plastic or synthetic fibers; oil or fat; pet or human feces (except for manure of herbivorous creatures such as rabbits and horses); weeds that have gone to seed; diseased plants; disposable diapers; glossy magazines; coal and coke ash; and cat litter.

Here’s a short video on how to compost.

Tags: Compost, Easy, Environment, Food, Friendly, Green, Landfill, Scraps, Waste