HHW - Composting
Feed A Bug
The foodchain

1. Composting

What is composting?
Why Compost?
Some Other Ways Compost Can Be Used
What to compost
What not to compost
Organic Gardener's Compost Guide

2. Composting Yard Waste

What is yard waste?
Yard Wastes Facts
Why Not Put Yard Waste in Landfills?
Why Not Burn Leaves and Other Yard Wastes?

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COMPOSTING

Pallet bins are an easy way to compost What is Composting? Composting is simply recycling food scraps, yard trimmings and other organic matter. Or more specifically the controlled decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) into a humus-like product. What they leave behind can be used...
-as potting soil,
-as mulch for the lawn and garden,
-to increase air and water absorption in soil,
-to decrease erosion,
-to suppress weed growth, and
-to improve soil texture

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Why Compost?

First, composting makes sense. Insteading of sending useful organic matter to a landfill (which in many states has been outlawed), it can be transformed into a useful additive which can even be sold.

Second, composting is easy. Common materials like chicken wire, bricks, and buckets are all it takes to begin composting, which can be done either indoors or outdoors. Maintenance isn't difficult either: regular mixing and a little water can ensure success.

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Some Other Ways Compost Can Be Used.

Compost can be used for a variety of gardening projects. It can enrich gardens, improve the soil around trees and shrubs, and be used as a soil additive for house plants and planter boxes. Compost can enhance soil texture, increase the ability of the soil to absorb air and water, suppress weed growth, decrease erosion, and reduce the need to apply chemical fertilizers.

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What to compost - The IN List.

Cardboard rolls Clean paper Coffee grounds & filters
Eggshells Fireplace ashes Fur
Gray cardboard boxes Hair Leaves and grass
Sawdust Shredded newspaper Tea bags
Vacuum cleaner lint Vegetable trimmings Wool and cotton rags

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What not to compost - The OUT List.

Keep out...Reason why ...
Black walnut leaves/twigs toxic to tomatoes
Egg yolks attracts vermin
Meat attracts flies and rodents
Oils and grease produces odor and attracts vermin
Pesticides can kill composting organisms and concentrate in compost
Pet poop can carry disease and attracts flies

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COMPOSTING YARD WASTE

What is yard waste?

Manage yard waste by composting Across the nation, composting is gaining increased attention as an environmentally sound way to manage yard wastes. Yard wastes are such material as leaves, grass clippings, brush, and tree prunings. Many communities and states have banned yard wastes from landfills. Composting diverts yard wastes from landfills and combustors. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends composting of yard wastes. Not only is composting sensible from an environmental perspective, it also effectively converts yard wastes into a useful soil additive or mulch.

If composting at home isn't possible, contact your local solid waste authority to learn about community composting of yard trimmings and garden debris. Many communities even have curbside collection - and if yours doesn't, maybe you can help to get one started!

Some states prohibit dumping yard waste

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Why Not Put Yard Wastes in Landfills?

Since these materials are relatively clean and biodegradable, disposal in landfills may be unnecessary and wastes space. In addition, as yard wastes decompose in landfills, they generate methane gas and acidic leachate. Methane is a colorless, explosive gas that is released as bacteria decompose organic material s in landfills. If methane is not controlled at a landfill, it can seep underground and into nearby buildings, where it has the potential to explode. Yard wastes also contribute acidity that can make other waste constituents more mobile and therefore more toxic.

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Why Not Burn Leaves and Other Yard Wastes?

Burning leaves and other yard wastes pollutes the air and can lead to uncontrolled fires. Leaf smoke can make breathing difficult for people who suffer from asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or allergies. A number of states currently ban leaf burning, and some communities either ban leaf burning or restrict when and where it can take place.

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