Composting

"One man's trash is another man's treasure" has never been more true than when you're talking compost. Composting is nature's way of recycling yard and kitchen waste. Done correctly, a compost pile creates an environment where everything from grass cuttings to coffee grounds is reconstituted into an environmentally friendly, nutrient rich fertilizer for your lawn and garden.

According to St. Louis Composting, one of the largest composting facilities in Missouri, composting helps reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and methane gasses produced by landfill waste; two of the main culprits in ozone depletion. "While all of us know that carpooling or biking can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, so too does composting by advancing the four "Rs" – reduce, reuse, recycle and re-buy – of green living.

1. Reduce – Each bag of lawn clippings directed to a composting facility reduces the amount of solid waste in the waste stream.
2. Reuse – All of the wood material collected by St. Louis Composting is made into mulch.
3. Recycle – Compost is the archetypical recycled product. All material entering the process exits as usable product.
4. Re-buy – When you purchase from U.S. Composting Council members like St. Louis Composting, you support Green industry and prove your commitment to being a good steward of Mother Earth."

So, how do you get started? According to the website Composting101.com, you must first choose a spot for your compost bin or pile (city dwellers, or folks with high maintenance neighborhood associations should definitely opt for the aesthetically-pleasing bin). This spot should be in the backyard, away from the house or other wooden structures. Next to your garden and/or water source is optimal.

Moisture and oxygen are must haves for the microbes in a compost pile to break down the materials. One caveat though: you don't want too much of the former, or too little of the latter. Both situations will render your pile unusable.

Most organic substances are excellent for composting, but there are exceptions. Composting101.com suggests that meat, dairy, bones, fat, and fish should be avoided. Also avoid anything that can add toxins to your pile such as colored paper, diseased plants, and pet droppings. Obviously, non-organic materials such as aluminum foil, glass, plastics and metal should not be used.

Compost requires an even mix of brown and green materials. Brown includes dried leaves and/or pine needles, and is high in carbon. Green includes grass cuttings, vegetables scraps, weeds and other plants, which are good sources of nitrogen. Be careful not to overdose your compost pile with too much of either ingredient.

Composting101.com states that, "A compost pile that is working well will produce temperatures of 140-160 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures almost all weed seeds and plant diseases are killed. A "very hot" compost pile will generate temperatures of up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for up to a week or more." Vigilant monitoring of your compost pile will ensure proper decomposition with no extra chemicals or additives in about 3 months.*

An alternative to creating your own compost is to let someone else do it for you. "St. Louis Composting recycles more than one third of the yard waste generated by residents of St. Louis City and County – turning organic matter like leaves, grass clippings and twigs into nutrient-rich compost. [They] consolidate, shred, aerate and monitor the materials that make their way to [the] three facilities in Greater St. Louis to accelerate the organic composting process. Area residents and businesses then use the compost to naturally enrich lawns, gardens, fields and vineyards."

For more information, go to the St. Louis Composting website at StlCompost.com.

* The process can take up to 18 months.