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Composting is another way to decrease day to day waste in addition to reusing, reducing and recycling.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you are considering starting a compost pile of your own.

  • -The first step is to contact your local community to see if there are any restrictions regarding outdoor composting.
    -
    You will need space, a bin, oxygen, water, material or food. Bins are available commercially, but you can also make one with wood, fence posts, chicken wire, etc.
    -
    Almost all natural, organic material will compost, but no everything belongs in a compost pile.

Here are some do's and don'ts of composting:

Things to Compost:

Things Not to Compost:

Grass Clippings

Oils

Leaves

Fat and Grease

Fruit and Vegetable Waste

Diseased Plants

Straw

Bones

Wood

Dog and Cat Manure

Sawdust

Inorganic Matter (eg. plastic or metal)

Pine Needles

Meat

Cornstalks

Butter

Alfalfa Hay

Salad Dressing

Coffee Grounds

Brush and shrub trimmings

Flowers

Bread

Wood Ash

Paper

When gathering materials to compost, keep in mind that a good mix of carbon and nitrogen nutrients (brown and green matter) is needed. An ideal mix is approximately 30 parts of carbon (brown) to one part nitrogen (green). Don't forget the water! Material should feel damp, but should not drip much water when squeezed by hand.

Download a printer friendly version of the featured composting info.

Sources for more information:

"Greenscaping Your Lawn and Garden" (Document #EPA-530-K-03-002)

Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov or (312) 886-0976

"Compost, Truth or Consequences" (Video)

Cornell University - www.cfe.cornell.edu/wmi or (607) 255-6553

"Backyard Composting" - Your Complete Guide to Recycling

(Book - ISBN 0-9629768-3-0) - (800) 247-6553

"How to Compost at Home" (Brochure)

Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity - www.illinoisrecycles.com

Outdoor Composting, Vermi-Composting & Rain Barrels

Composters.com - www.composters.com or (877) 204-7336