How?

Backyard composting turns organic waste – grasses, leaves, garden debris and vegetable and fruit scrapes – into a nutrient rich mixture you can add to your yard or garden.

Get a Compost Bin Compost bins can be purchased at many retail and garden stores or you can make your own. Visit reduce.org to find out how.

What Stays Out of Compost Food with meat, dairy or oils, Pet waste, diseased plants, weeds gone to seed

How to Do It Add equal parts brown material – leaves, sawdust, cornstalks or straw. Green material – grass & plant clippings, fruit & vegetables scraps. Turn the compost pile frequently and keep moist to get the pile to decompose quickly and with little odor.

Why?

Keeps yard waste and household food waste out of the trash stream

Provides you with nutrient rich soil to add to your yard, garden and potted plants

Reduces the need for municipalities to provide composting facilities

Next Steps

Reference these websites for more information on getting started composting at your house.

University of Minnesota – search compost

US Composting Council – search for Composting Q&A

RethinkRecycling.com – lawn garden disposal and composting information for the Twin Cities area.

Funding for this project was provided by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board through Community POWER: Partners on Waste Education and Reduction.