This summer we had a very sad, very poor attempt at composting. The problems we faced were mostly related to the lack of space and the fact that we share a yard with several other people...and all of their animals. I did a lot of research and I think when the time comes that we have our own house I will know enough about composting to be able to do it effectively and efficiently. Looks like that counter top compost container wasn't a waste of $30 after all! :)
One thing I found out about composting is that most cities and counties in Utah offer composting services! If you have a garbage can that is specifically for yard clippings, you have your own large compost collector. Our "compost can" is our brown garbage can. This is where we put the usual garbage...grass clippings, pulled weeds, raked leaves, etc. I thought I would share with you the other items that can be placed in these bins in order to save you space in your regular garbage bins, clear up space in the landfills, and help turn these natural fibers back into nutrient rich soil that can in turn be used to grow more plants and trees!
Think twice before throwing out the following items into the regular garbage bin:
- Coffee grinds
- Hair clippings
- Nail clippings
- Egg shells
- Expired produce
- Freezer burned vegetables
- Paper towels
- Matches
- Banana peels
- Old spices
- Potato peelings
- Orange rinds
- Q tips (ONLY if they have cardboard middles, not plastic)
- Houseplant trimmings
- Corncobs
- Nut shells
- Apple cores
- Lobster shells (if you eat meat, of course)
- Lint from the dryer
- Dust bunnies, and other things you empty out of the vacuum cleaner
- Feathers and bird cage tray cleanings
- Dead flies and bees you clean out of your windowsills
- Sunflower seeds leftover from last baseball season
- Leftover Jack-O-Lanterns (sad, but I know that there are still a few sitting on porches)
Pretty cool, huh? I will keep you posted as to how the composting goes when we get our new place. I hope to be completely self-sufficient when we grow our own garden. Next year....next year....
