- Pick a spot in your yard to make your compost pile.
- First, make sure your state permits compost piles at homes and residences.
- Build a wooden frame like this one or call your local government.
- Some municipalities offer compost kits to their residents. The city of St. Petersburg, Florida will get you set up with a free container.
- Know the composting basics!
- In order for a compost to be successful, you need a balance of greens and browns, or nitrogen and carbon. These should be layered on one another to ensure the pile has enough nutrients. Your pile should also be watered and stirred weekly to ensure your pile decomposes healthily.
- Greens include any food like banana peels, avocado seeds, teabags (as long as the bag is not made of plastic) and egg shells.
- Browns include things like paper, cardboard, old leaves, and wood chips. They should be layered on top of one another or stirred weekly to keep it healthy and prevent mold from growing.
- Store food indoors until you’re ready to take it out. Put left over scraps in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware in the fridge until you’re ready. This will preserve the food for a while and slow decomposition.
- Know what items you can, and cannot put in a home compost bin.
- Food scraps and lawn clippings are perfect for your home compost pile.
- Compostable cups and plates cannot be placed in a home compost bin, as these require a high level of heat to degrade. This level of heat is only achievable in a professional facility.
- Meat and cheeses should not be composted. These items attract animals and other pests.
- Items such as dryer lint, newspapers, and old cardboard work well as browns in your compost pile.
- Do your composting research!
- You’re already reading this article! Congratulations for taking the first step to starting your home compost pile and doing your part to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.
- Look here and here for more helpful tips on how to get started.
- Ask your neighbors and friends if they have a pile set up and ask for advice about what does and doesn’t work.
- Start composting!
- Start putting your fruit and vegetable trimmings off to the side when making dinner and taking them outdoors instead of over to the garbage.
- Use the compost pile to cover your home gardens in healthy nutrients.
- Celebrate this small and important step in helping the planet! Check out more tips at our previous article!
