COMPOST RECIPE:
Nature’s way of recycling
Did you know:
● Composting food and yard waste can reduce your trash bill and help the
Earth.
● 25 to 35% of your trash can be composted and it’s EASY to do.
● Vermicomposting can be done using redworms in a bin inside or outside
your apartment or house. Composting does NOT smell.
Ingredients and Procedure:
You can use almost all of the organic materials that come from your house, yard, and
garden in your composting pile. Composting turns these into a RESOURCE that you can
put right back into your own soil. Compost anything that was a plant. All plant materials
contain nitrogen and carbon. Materials high in nitrogen, like kitchen scraps, moldy food
in your refrigerator, fresh grass clippings, weeds, plant trimmings, are called “GREENS.”
Materials high in carbon, like twigs and dried leaves, dried grass, cardboard, bread, pasta,
and rice are called “BROWNS.”
If the compost bin is uncovered/open bin, ALWAYS cover food waste with browns or
soil so no odor or flies will develop. However, if a plastic covered bin is used, covering
the waste is not necessary, although if covered, it will decompose more rapidly.
NO BACKYARD? Use a small bin indoors and vermicompost. Shredded and moistened
newspaper can be used for the bedding for the redworms/red wigglers. Food waste is then
buried in the worm bin. You can use the rich soil that is created for potted plants.
DO NOT USE: dairy or meat products as they attract rodents and domestic animals,
have an odor when decomposing, and they take much longer to decompose. So no
cheese, milk, butter, oily foods like peanut butter and dressings although a little will not
make a difference. NO plastics, foil or other inorganic items!
3 parts brown
2 parts green
Optional: a dash of soil
(CARBON Source)
(NITROGEN Source)
Compost can heat up to 140
degrees F in the summer and
120 degrees F in the winter.
1. Layer or mix ingredients into bin or pile
2. Keep moist but not wet
3. Optional: stir or turn ingredients occasionally
If pile does not warm up within 1 week, add additional green materials.
If undesirable odors occur, add more brown materials.
NOTE: Compost does NOT have to be mixed or turned. However, if it is turned, the
increased oxygen that is created will decompose the waste more rapidly.
Need help or troubleshooting?
Call the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District,
3400 South Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN 47401 Ph: 349-2020