Did you know that about one third of the space in landfills is taken up with organic waste from our yards and kitchens?  This waste is perfect for composting!  By spending just a little time, we can help out with the landfill problem and also enrich the soil and improve the health of the plants in our own backyard.  Compost is best when made up of a combination of “browns” (carbon rich materials) and “greens” (nitrogen rich materials).  For browns think dried leaves, straw and wood chips.  For greens think grass clippings, and kitchen scraps.  To collect kitchen scraps, keep a small compost pail on your kitchen counter, and bring it outside to your compost pile every few days.  Keep the pile covered with browns to reduce flies and critters from coming around.  Good kitchen compost material includes melon rinds, carrot peels, tea bags, banana peels, and apple cores.  If you want to use egg shells, crush them up because they decompose slowly.

 

Ceramic Compost Keeper