To maintain moisture in your pile, ensure your combined materials have the consistency of a wrung-out sponge.Īs the materials in your compost pile begin to decompose, the temperature of the pile will initially begin to rise, especially in the center. To ensure air circulation, add enough browns and turn your compost occasionally.

Always ensure your food scraps are covered by four to eight inches of dry leaves or other browns.Īir and water are the other key ingredients in your pile. When adding browns and greens to your pile, add at least two to three times the volume of browns (such as dry leaves) to the volume of greens (such as food scraps). Having the right proportions of ingredients in your compost pile will provide the composting microorganisms the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and moisture they need to break down the materials into finished compost. If needed, add a little water to dampen the pile. Then layer your greens and browns like lasagna. This layer absorbs extra liquids, elevates your pile and allows air to circulate at the base of the pile. Start your pile with a four- to six-inch layer of bulky browns such as twigs and wood chips. Doing so will help the materials in the pile break down faster. They can also be enclosed and include barrels and tumblers.īefore adding your browns and greens to the pile, try to chop and break them up into smaller pieces (e.g., corn cobs, broccoli stalks, and other tough food scraps). Bins can be constructed from materials such as wire, wood, and cinder blocks. Next, choose a type of bin for your pile. Your compost pile will break down in sun or shade.

Avoid placing it right up against a fence and ensure there is a water source nearby. Set aside space for your compost pile and build or buy a bin.Ĭhoose a space in your yard for your compost pile that is easily accessible year-round and has good drainage. For browns, set aside an area outside to store your steady supply of leaves, twigs, or other carbon-rich material (to mix with your food scraps). Steps for Backyard Compostingĭetermine how you will collect and store your browns and greens.Ĭollect and store your fruit and vegetable scraps in a closed container on your kitchen counter, under your sink, or in your fridge or freezer.

Check first to make sure your specific facility accepts them. These materials can be composted at commercial composting facilities. †Backyard composting piles generally do not reach high enough temperatures to fully decompose these materials. What to Avoid Adding to a Backyard Compost Pile MaterialsĬompostable foodservice ware and compostable bags† Shredded cardboard (no wax coating, tape, or glue) Shredded paper (non-glossy, uncolored) and shredded brown bags What to Add to a Backyard Compost Pile Nitrogen-Rich Materials (“Greens”) The ingredients for composting include a proper balance of the following materials: Learn more about community composting.Ĭomposting in Your Backyard Ingredients for Composting If you don’t have a space for composting, consider participating in a local municipal or community composting program which may collect your food scraps or offer a designated location where you can drop them off. There are different ways to compost at home: You can use your compost to build healthier soil, prevent soil erosion, conserve water, and improve plant growth in your garden and yard.

You save money by producing a free, high-quality soil amendment – compost – which reduces your use of fertilizer and pesticides.

Composting involves minimal effort, equipment, expense, and expertise and can be fun.

You reduce the volume of materials that might otherwise be disposed of in landfills or trash incinerators – leaves, grass clippings, yard trim, and food scraps – and prevent powerful greenhouse gases from being emitted into the atmosphere.

Composting is a resourceful way to recycle the food scraps and yard trim you generate at home all year and manage your waste more sustainably.

By turning our food scraps and yard trim into compost, we transform our waste streams into a beneficial, value-added soil amendment and use it to protect the environment and create resilient communities. It is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce our trash, address climate change, and build healthy soil. If you are a community looking to support your constituents in their efforts to compost at home, or wish to increase participation in a curbside collection program, you may be interested in the following resource: Composting Food Scraps in Your Community: A Social Marketing Toolkit.Ĭomposting is nature’s way of recycling.

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