Composting is a simple and fulfilling way to turn food waste and other organic matter into nutrient rich soil that can be put back into the Earth.
We’ve composted for years in a backyard compost and have had successful yields of amazing soil!
So how do you do it?
There are a couple of different ways to compost. For example, there’s your traditional backyard compost in an enclosed container, there is a vermicompost which consists of worms, an aerated compost which is a large pile of scraps, a lasagna compost and more.
Today, we’ll be focusing on how to compost in a container in your backyard.
What materials are compostable in a backyard compost?
Green Matter (Nitrogenous matter)
- Scraps like fruits and vegetable peels, melon rinds, old vegetables
- Coffee grounds, Tea leaves and *paper* tea bags
- Houseplant trims, weeds, grass clippings
- Eggshells
Brown Matter (Carbonaceous material)
- Shredded Newspaper
- Straw
- Pressed paper egg cartons, torn up
- Yard waste like chopped twigs and small branches
- Brown paper shopping bags/lunch bags, torn up
*A 1:1 ratio of brown and green matter is successful for most composts*
What materials are not compostable?
- Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
- Coal or charcoal ash
- Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs*
- Diseased or insect-ridden plants
- Fats, grease, lard, or oils*
- Meat or fish bones and scraps*
- Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)*
- Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
When you start collecting scraps, you will realize just how many things you use in your daily life are actually compostable! If you’re ever unsure about whether or not something is compostable, there are plenty of online resources to reference.
Why does composting matter and what does it do to combat global climate change?
The EPA estimates that 30% of what we throw away could be composted instead. When organic matter is thrown away in a landfill, it often undergoes a process called anaerobic digestion, where oxygen is absent. This process creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is roughly 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, meaning that it traps more heat than carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses.
When organic matter is composted, it undergoes a process called aerobic digestion in which oxygen is present. In this case gasses like nitrate, phosphate, and carbon dioxide are produced and not methane.
What if you don’t have access to a yard to compost in?
Our friends at the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County provided some great information on curbside composting for us!
Services that provide curbside composting:
- Flood Brothers; not every community. Lake in the Hills can place food scraps with their yard waste if they contact Flood Brothers and sign up at no additional cost.
- Prairieland; all communities, but not automatically year round.
- Groot; not all communities, Volo, Round lake, Bull Valley and Prairie Grove have seasonal curbside composting through Groot.
- Crystal Lake is offering year-around service but individuals must sign up for it, and it is an additional fee.
Services that do not offer curbside composting – reach out to them and be the advocate for change!
- Waste Management
- Marengo Disposal
- MDC
- Lake Disposal
There are a lot of single use products that are “compostable” made from potato starch instead of plastic.
These items are more often than not are only able to be composted in a commercial composting facility – remember, it’s always better to reduce and reuse what you have if you have the option! Try bringing your own reusable utensils with you instead of choosing these.
There is a lot to cover on the topic of composting. Remember to check in with your local waste management to see if they provide curbside postings, keep your eye out for composting options at farmers markets and if you have any questions, we can refer you to some experts! Send us an email at vote4suzanneness@gmail.com
Visit this link to learn more about composting: Recycling + Composting guides
Resources
Resources
Where to recycle items in Crystal Lake:
Recycling Directory for McHenry County
Where to recycle items all around McHenry County:
2021 McHenry County Recycling Directory Green Guide
What is accepted in McHenry County:
RECYCLING GUIDELINES
Numbers and what they mean:
Exactly What Every Plastic Recycling Symbol Really Means
The EPA on the benefits of composting:
Reducing the Impact of Wasted Food by Feeding the Soil and Composting | US EPA
Article:
Composting Food Waste: Keeping a Good Thing Going | US EPA
EPA guide to composting at home:
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home