Backyard Composting

Credit goes to our recycling friends in Ontario County, New York, for much of this great info.

It’s easy to recycle organic materials such as yard clippings and kitchen scraps—and the benefits are huge. The best way to divert organics from your waste stream is to compost in your backyard.

Compost is a mixture of partially decomposed plant material and other organic wastes, such as orange peels and coffee grounds.

If you’re already a backyard composter, then you’re probably making good use of any extra food waste and know the amazing benefits of composting.

If you aren’t a composter, here are some reasons that you might want to start:

You can reduce your household garbage by around 20%, which will reduce the amount of methane gas generated by organic waste in landfills.
You’ll save money by spending less on fertilizer. Plus, less waste in your dumpster should reduce your trash bin size or frequency of pick up.
It’s great for your plants. You’ll end up with nutrient-dense soil-like material for use in your garden.
It has a positive impact on our environment. You’ll cut back on your carbon footprint due to a reduction in waste and resource consumption like water and fuel.
It’s easy!

Here are some resources for how to compost at home

Check out this video from UNL Extension on how to make your own compost at home.

Build your own compost box for outside

Build your own compost box or buy a compost bin at a local garden center. For ideas and easy instruction on how to build your own compost structure or purchase a compost bin check out 15 DIY Compost Bin Plans

Try a worm bin for composting inside

A worm bin might sound gross, but it gets the job done. These are bins full of hard-working worms that make composting easy by breaking up and processing the material. Worms also turn and aerate the compost, which actually keeps the stink down (who knew?) Have fun with it. Make it a science experiment for your family and show your kids how it’s done.

Vermicomposting | (unl.edu)