Hawkeyes Neighborhood Watch

Home Composting--Keeping a Resource From Going to Waste

The U.S. EPA estimates that Americans throw away over a quarter of the food that we prepare each year, or 96 billion pounds!  Not only is this organic material a resource that could be used to create compost, it is also made up of mostly water, making it heavy and expensive to dispose of.

Compost is a nutrient-rich soil amendment you can use to improve your lawn, garden and houseplants. Save time and money by reducing the need for fertilizer use and watering. Anyone can learn to compost, and it can be done year round--a compost pile or bin are common outdoor methods, and vermicomposting, or worm composting, can be done indoors during the winter and colder months.

There are plenty of resources to help you get started.  Compost bins can be purchased from some area retailers or from Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, which also offers composting workshops.  Visit www.kgmb.org for information on bins and workshop dates.  For more information on composting visit www.epa.gov and search for "compost".