How would you like to find an extra $40 to $80 dollars a month in your wallet? No, this isn’t some kind of pitch to sell you something but simply an attempt to get you to think about how much money you spend on trash bags. The average household spends between $40-$80 a month in bags which are bought to be thrown out!  Think about this. The cost of the average box of garbage bags is close to $11. Multiply that by the number of bags the average household uses and it does add up! You are purposely spending money for a bag that will be thrown out. How ridiculous is that? Why not burn the dollars and atleast get the pleasure of feeling heat as your dollar bills disappear.

Garden Gourmet Compost Bin

For most people, when you mention the word compost, they think of a heap of garbage that a parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent would dump in the back corner of a garden bed. Today, it is a matter of conserving landfill space and utilizing your biodegradable waste in order to provide valuable nutrition for your soil. Well, that is if you are concerned about the environment and want to do your part.

Anyone who has owned land that has poor soil knows how hard it is to restore the nutrients in that soil. Compost, after all, is the perfect soil amendment.  It seems to be a natural solution, however it is not.  What amazes me is the number of avid gardeners who choose not to have a compost pile and opt to purchase it at a local store. I once had a sibling who made that mistake and bought “top quality” compost which unfortunately, contained black fly eggs.  Unfortunately, it was a mess that did not have an easy remedy, to say the least.

As a Master Composter, I often volunteer at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It is refreshing to meet so many people in Brooklyn who are more than happy to do their part and compost! Some use worm bins and others have a compost bin in their yard or rooftop. There are also numerous people that will travel to Union Square to “donate” their compostable matter. Some go as far as to keep it in the freezer till they are able to get down there. It really does make me happy to hear from the folks that do this.  Yet, on Long Island, it seems as though this is not the norm. Too many people fear that composting will attract rodents, disease and upset neighbors. It really is a shame. However, there are new bins out there such as the Garden Gourmet compost bin, which I actually have in my own garden.  Granted, you do not have to buy any fancy contraption, but I chose to acquire this bin for teaching purposes. What is nice about it is that it can hold a lot of material and keep it virtually out of site.

If you really would like to get a pile going, it is fairly simple to do. Here is a list of materials:

Composting Basics FAQs

Which materials should I compost and how do I add them?

All organic materials contain carbon and nitrogen in varying proportions. To create ideal conditions for composting, mix equal parts (by volume) of “green” high-nitrogen materials and “brown” high-carbon materials. This  blend will feed the bacteria and other decomposer organisms proper proportions of carbon and nitrogen. Without enough greens, a pile will decompose very slowly, and without enough browns the pile may smell bad. In general, it’s better to err on the side of too many browns, so you should stockpile dry, carbon-rich material, such as fall leaves or shredded newspaper, to add to your bin throughout the year.

There is a fairly complete lists of “brown’s” and “green’s” as well as a list of materials to be avoided.

• BROWNS: (materials that are rich in carbon)
• GREENS: (materials that are rich in nitrogen)

Take kitchen scraps and make valuable compost!

Air and Water are KEY! Without air and water, your compost pile will NOT transform itself into the mound of black gold that you desire.  Your pile will inevitably break down but will become one big smelly mess if you do not allow air and water to penetrate your pile.

How do I add  materials to my pile?

To avoid possible odors or pests, bury food scraps under browns such as leaves, brush, wood chips, or finished compost.

During the winter, keep a bag, pile, or container of dry fall leaves or finished compost to add on top of food scraps.

Brown Materials:

• fall leaves
• spent plants
• straw and hay
• pine needles
• small twigs and wood chips
• sawdust and woodshavings
• shredded newspaper
• egg shells
• corncobs
• bread and grains
• wood ashes
• old potting soil
• food-soiled paper towels and napkins
• dried flowers
• brewery waste, hops, and pomace
• food-soiled cardboard (recycle if clean, but compost if dirty)
• stale flour, cereal, spices, beans

Green Materials:

• coffee grounds and filters
• tea bags
• fresh leaves
• green plants
• prunings and hedge trimmings
• grass clippings
• weeds
• flower bouquets
• seaweed
• feathers
• horse manure
• manure and bedding from small pets such as hamsters and rabbits
• cornstarch and other organic packing materials
• spoiled juice
• banana peel

Tip: Cut up bulkier materials with hand pruners or a knife. The pieces should be cut to about 4 inches long, or use a mower with a bagging attachment or a chipper/shredder for tough leaves, brush, and other large material.

What materials should I avoid adding to my compost pile?

LIST OF MATERIALS THAT SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED YOUR COMPOST PILE

• meat and fish scraps
• cheese and dairy products
• fats, oils, and grease
• dog and cat waste
• cat litter
• dead animals
• large branches
• pressure-treated lumber
• invasive weeds
• weeds with seeds
• pesticide-treated plants and grass clippings
• diseased plants
• sand
• coal and charcoal ashes
• colored or glossy paper
• non-compostable materials such as plastics, metals, and glass

The bottom line is that it is up to you. If you manage your waste properly, it won’t be a problem. If you want to donate your waste to a community garden, that is also another great option. One way or another, we all need to work together to “Keep America Clean”!