Americans throw away almost half of the food we purchase, with much of that waste going to our local landfills. Of course the best way to reduce food waste is to eat it before it goes bad... but how can we keep that food out of the landfill? How can we re-cycle our yard waste so we keep the nutrients in our yards?
Compost
When your food waste is composted, you'll start to notice the benefits right away!
Less trash means fewer trips to the curb or the transfer station.
Your trash can won't smell.
When your compost is finished, you have a free source of quality, balanced fertilizer for your plants.
You don't need fancy equipment to get started, although there are many small and convenient options for composting. You can start with a pile in the corner of your yard! Layer in 'green' materials like fruits and vegetables, fresh grass clippings, and coffee grounds with 'brown' materials like dried leaves and shredded paper products. Turn the pile and keep it moist to help your compost break down quickly. If you aren't in a hurry, let nature take its course.
Vermicompost
Vermicompost, or composting with a worm bin, is a great composting option! Vermicomposting uses small worms called 'Red Wigglers' to quickly break down food products. Red Wigglers can eat their body weight in compost each day! A worm bin can be kept anywhere where the tempertature stays above 40F and below 80F. You can keep a bin under your kitchen sink and toss food scraps in as you cook. Layer your scraps with a carbon source such as shredded junk mail or newspaper to provide a good worm environment, and keep the contents evenly moist. Your worms will happily turn everything into nutrient-rich worm compost. Read more about getting started with worms
here.
