Green Community Composting Tips

Here at Keswick Hills (http://www.keswickhills.com/), we all try to do our part in being "green" and in saving our landfills. Composting is something that is simple and easy to do. But anytime you are new to something, the best way to learn quickly is to go to: http://www.google.com/ and type in "compost".

There are lots of great resources out there including: http://www.compostguide.com/composting_methods_to_try_at_home.html or http://www.waverley.gov.uk/recycling/composting.asp

Or websites that you wouldn't normally think would address composting such as: http://www.babyfit.com/ where they addressed the topic:

"QUICK TIP :The general rule of thumb for composting is that if it came from a plant, it's safe for the pile. An exception is vegetable oil. Oil has been extracted and refined from its natural state, and when it is added to a compost pile it will likely create odor problems and attract vermin to your pile.

What to compost
A compost pile should be composed of equal proportions of "greens" and "browns" for optimal decomposition with minimal odor. Greens are high in nitrogen and include vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and manure. Browns are high in carbon, and include leaves, sawdust, and wood chips. Here is a list of ideas to get you started: Bananas, beets, bread, orange peels, broccoli stalks, leftover wilted salad greens, hair (yours or your pet's), hay, used tea bags, scraps of cotton or wool fabric, coffee grinds and filters, weeds, and egg shells. Here are some things that should not go into your compost pile: Animal fat (including butter and cheese), mayonnaise, meat, milk, peanut butter, oil, and bones."

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Many people like to build their own compost containers, but if you don't have time you can buy a 'kitchen compost container" at places like http://www.planetnatural.com/ or http://www.target.com/. Or you can use a large piece of tupperware in your kitchen to gather your scraps. And then for the outside, you can find a large selection at: http://www.composters.com/main.php?gclid=CPuFvarAtY8CFQ3tlAodG2VAXA.