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 The Valley Solid Waste Commission promotes backyard composting through the sale of commercial composting units. Community groups and schools can make arrangements for a composting presentation by contacting the commission office by telephone or E-Mail.
Backyard composting:
- reduces the amount of waste going to landfills.
- saves on waste disposal costs
- takes place at home and saves collection costs
Compost:
- Improves soil texture
- Increases water retention capacity
- Improves aeration capacity
- Provides resistance to wind and water erosion
- Stabilizes soil temperatures
- Increases nutrient content
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Turns mineral substances in soil into forms available to plants
Composting is the biological break down of organic kitchen waste, such as vegetable and fruit peelings, and yard waste, such as grass and leaves, into a soil-enriching compost. Thousands of organisms: worms, insects, fungi, bacteria, naturally break down organic wastes into simple compounds that plants can use. The well managed backyard composter mimics and speeds up nature’s decaying process. Be patient, materials do decompose at different rates, but all will break down eventually.
There are five basic factors involved in composting;
- Food: Microbes need a well-balanced diet of green and brown materials to grow and multiply
- Air: Microbes need air to live. Without air circulation, the pill will smell bad. Turn or mix the pile occasionally to break up clumps and to introduce air. An air stack can be placed in centre of the pile for air circulation.
- Moisture: Microbes need a moist environment to live. Your pile should be as wet as a well-wrung out sponge.
- Volume: Your compost heap will need to be at least 1 cubic metre. This helps retain the heat needed by some of the microbes to reproduce.
- Surface area: The more surface area there is - the faster it will compost. Cut-up vegetable waste will decompose faster than whole vegetables just like a bruised apple will rot faster than an unblemished fruit.
Setting up a backyard composting system
Some home owners prefer multi-bin systems for larger quantities of organics; others may prefer to build their bin from salvaged materials such as old pallets, wire, brick blocks or other scrap materials. Choose the type of system that best meets your lifestyle based on:
- The amount of time and work you want to spend on composting
- The appearance of the bin
- The size of your yard
- The amount of materials you will want to compost
- How fast you want your finished compost
- How easy the bin is to assemble or to use
- The amount of money you want to spend on a compost system
- Need for pest and scavenger resistance
Composting tips:
Treat your pile like a living organism – It will need air, water, food.
Use equal amounts of green (nitrogen rich) materials and brown (carbon rich) materials.
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Greens |
Browns |
Coffee grounds
Egg shells
Vegetable and fruit trimmings
Grass clippings
Plant cuttings
Tea and tea bags |
Dry leaves
Straw
Untreated woodchips/sawdust
Dry grass clippings
Shredded soiled cardboard
& newspaper |
Do NOT compost the following materials as it may attract unwanted pests or cause bad odors:
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