• Prevents waste and saves both you and the city valuable tax dollars. Few residents realize that 20 percent of the trash picked up on collection days is yard waste. Composting also prevents yard waste from being raked or blown into the street, where it can clog storm drains and street gutters.

• Avoids the trouble and expense of purchasing mulch.

• Supplements the soil's capacity to hold nutrients and moisture so plants can use them, reducing the need for fertilizers and excess watering.

• Decreases soil erosion and water run-off. Plant roots penetrate compost-rich soil easier and hold the soil in place.

• Suppresses weed growth in the soil.

Composting is generally easy following 4 easy steps:

1. Choose or construct an appropriate bin for your compost. General yard waste and grass clippings can be composted in almost any type of compost bin. Enclosed bins may be more difficult to turn and aerate, but they are also better for regulating moisture and temperature, which can accelerate the composting process. NOTE: Although vegetable and fruit scraps make excellent compost, we highly recommend you choose an enclosed container with a secure lid to avoid attracting unwanted animals or other pests.

2. Fill your bin with a balanced mixture for best results: (1 to 3 rule)

   • 1 part green stuff (high in nitrogen) to activate the heat process in your compost. Perfect heat-generating materials include: young weeds (before they develop seeds); comfrey leaves; yarrow; chicken, rabbit or pigeon manure; grass cuttings; etc. Other green items that compost well include fruit and vegetables; fruit and vegetable scraps; coffee grounds and tea leaves (including tea bags - remove the staple if you wish); vegetable plant remains; plants.

   • 3 parts brown stuff (high in carbon) to serve as the "fiber" for your compost. Brown stuff includes fall (autumn) leaves; dead plants and weeds; sawdust; cardboard & cardboard tubes (from foil wraps); old flowers (including dried floral displays, minus plastic/foam attachments); old straw and hay; and small animal bedding.

   • Other items that can be composted but you may not have thought of before: paper towels; paper bags; cotton clothing (torn up); egg shells; hair (human, dog, cat etc.) Use all these items in moderation.

   • Air. It is possible to compost without air (anaerobically), but the process employs different bacteria and an anaerobic compost pile will take on a sour smell like vinegar. If you believe your compost pile needs more air, turn it, and consider adding more dry or brown stuff to open up the structure.

   • Water. Your pile should be about as damp as a sponge that has been wrung out. Depending on your climate, you can add water directly or rely on the moisture that comes in with "green" items. A lid on the compost bin will help to keep moisture in. If a pile gets too much water in it, it might not get enough air.

   • Soil or starter compost. This is not strictly necessary, but a light sprinkling garden soil between layers can help to introduce the correct bacteria to start the compost cycle a little more quickly. If you are pulling weeds, the soil left on the roots may be sufficient to serve this purpose.

3. Layer or mix the different materials in your bin so that they come into contact with one another and so that you avoid any large clumps. Especially avoid compacting large quantities of green materials together.

4. Turn your pile regularly, once every week or two. Mixing the pile in this way helps to keep air flowing inside the pile and encourages the growth of the right kind of bacteria and makes for a nice, sweet-smelling pile which will decompose faster.

5. If you live in a colder climate that has a shorter composting season, be careful of adding slow rotting items such as tough branches, twigs and hedge clippings; wood ash; wood shavings and wood pruning. They can be composted, but you may want to compost them separately due to their longer break-down time.

*Avoid backyard composting bread, pasta, nuts, cooked food, and newspaper. They don't break down very easily, become quite slimy, and slow down the process.

For backyard composting, do not compost the following items for reasons of health, hygiene or failure to decompose:

• 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 (nappies)

• Glossy magazines

• Coal and coke ash

• Cat litter

Composting can be one part science and one part art form. Learning how to achieve the right balance of materials in your compost pile often takes practice. Below is a list of common problems that can arise with compost piles.

Rotten Odor  

• Possible Causes: excess moisture (anaerobic conditions); compaction (anaerobic conditions)

• Solution: turn pile or add dry porous "brown" material such as straw, leaves, or sawdust (untreated); turn pile or make pile smaller

Ammonia Odor  

• Possible Causes: too much nitrogen or "green material" (lack of carbon)

• Solution: add high carbon or "brown" material such as straw, wood chips, sawdust, or leaves

Low Pile Temperature  

• Possible Causes: pile too small; insufficient moisture; poor aeration; not enough nitrogen or "green material" 

• Solution: make pile bigger or insulate sides; add water while turning pile; turn pile; add "green material" (nitrogen sources) such as grass clippings

Pests such as rats, raccoons, insects  

• Possible Causes: presence of meat scraps or fatty food waste

• Solution: NEVER include meat, dairy or fatty foods in a compost pile; Composting should not attract pests or cause of any rodent problem, however, it can aggravate existing problems if improper composting is practiced.

If you happen to have a yard with flower beds or ornamental plants, there is an easy, no muss, no fuss method of composting food waste that you might try. 'Trench composting' requires nothing more than a shovel and some yard space. Dig a hole ten inches deep, place food waste in hole, chop it up with the shovel blade, cover with dirt, and tamp it down. Next week, dig a new hole right next to the original. Snake your way around your flower beds and ornamentals. The food waste breaks down quickly and the earth worms love it!

Are you interested in composting food waste, but aren't able to do so at home? The Resource Recovery Division now has Resource Recovery Stations, located at five of the City's Famers' Markets (Old Town, Del Ray, West End, Old Town North, & Four Mile Run). Staff will be on site to explain how to compost food and yard waste at home, and accept items for composting.