Additional Resources: Composting Food Waste: LRPC: www.lakesrpc.org/servicessolidwaste.asp How to Get Started EPA: www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home Vermont DEC: http://dec.vermont.gov/ in the Lakes Region waste-management/solid/materials-mgmt/ organic-materials of New Hampshire Maine DEP: www.maine.gov/dep/sustainability/ /index.html NEWMOA: www.newmoa.org/solidwaste/projects/ food/reduction.cfm

A significant portion of the waste people Benefits of Backyard Composting: LRPC and NEWMOA developed this guide as part of dispose of includes organic material, such There are many benefits of home composting. It: a “Promoting Strategies to Keep Food Waste Out of , which can improve ” training and technical assistance project. as food scraps and leaf and yard debris. Improves health water retention and reduce the need to buy NEWMOA is a non-profit, non-partisan interstate The purpose of this initiative is to reduce the According to the EPA, over 20 percent of fertilizers, compost, and pesticides – saving association whose membership is composed of the state generation of wasted food by households, promote you money environmental agency programs that address pollution backyard composting, and evaluate the feasibility municipal trash is food waste –more than prevention, toxics use reduction, sustainability, materials of food rescue and donation in rural areas of Saves you and/or your town money since the 38 million tons in the U.S. each year. Most management, hazardous waste, solid waste, emergency Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. For material is removed from waste disposal response, waste site cleanup, and underground storage more information about this project, visit: of this material is landfilled. Organic tanks, and related environmental challenges in Reduces the emissions from www.newmoa.org/solidwaste/projects/food/reduction.cfm. landfilling food waste (methane is a potent Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, material takes up limited space, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont greenhouse gas) (www.newmoa.org). This material is based on work supported by the Rural and, when it breaks down releases Eliminates the need to store and Utilities Services, United States Department of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. transport your food waste to a compost Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or collection facility (if one exists) The document was developed by NEWMOA with input from: recommendations expressed in this material are solely Provides an option when a local collection the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily • Lakes Regional Planning Commission (LRPC) You can help reduce your impacts by facility is not available represent the official views of the Rural Utilities • New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) Services. Mention of any organization or company composting your food scraps at home. • Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District (NEKWMD) name is not considered an endorsement by NEWMOA, • Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) NEWMOA-member states, the Project Partners, or the Composting is a natural process of USDA. The views expressed in this document do not • Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments (AVCOG) recycling organics back into the soil, necessarily reflect those of NEWMOA, USDA, the • Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP) Project Partners, or the NEWMOA-member states. simultaneously keeping the material out of landfills and reducing waste.

www.lakesrpc.org Published May 2018 NEWMOA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 1 Composting at Home Where Can I Buy Home Some residents already compost their yard waste and food scraps at home. Others are hesitant to Composting Supplies? start because of misconceptions. They may think that home composting is too complicated, smelly, Locally: and messy. It is actually relatively easy (and inex- pensive) to do if you follow the approach outlined Compost Bins & Tumblers are available at the in this guide. following local hardware stores – you can also pre-order online and pick-up at the local store: What Can I Compost? Home Depot in Tilton For best results, follow the 1:3 Rule. For every (www.homedepot.com) one part of green material that you add to your compost, top with three parts of brown material. Lowes in Gilford The green materials provide nitrogen and (www.lowes.com) moisture for your compost and the brown A supply of “brown” yard waste materials to True Value in Laconia materials provide carbon. add into the compost. You could use a (www.truevalue.com) separate bin located near your compost “Green Material” = Food scraps, such as Aubuchon in Meredith container, a leaf bag (keep it dry in a shed fruits and vegetables, nuts, eggs shells, (www.hardwarestore.com) bread crusts, coffee grounds, tea leaves, or garage), or just accumulate a pile of old herbs and spices, fresh cut green grass, leaves, grass, plants, and other vegetative and more. material. Online: “Brown Material” = Yard waste, such as A small container to collect food scraps Compost Bins & Tumblers: dried leaves, dried grass, and woodchips. (“greens”) in your kitchen. A container with Gardener’s Supply (www.gardeners.com) & You can even add things like paper napkins; a lid, such as a Tupperware container, will many other web sites clean sawdust or shavings; and pet fur/hair. reduce odor. There are also stainless-steel Solar Composters: Start slow - do not add meat, bones, fish, fats/ and ceramic units that include a carbon Green Cone (www.greenconeusa.com) & grease/lard/oils, and dairy to your backyard filter to reduce potential smells. Algreen (www.algreenproducts.com) are the compost pile. Once you gain more experience, most popular brands you can try adding these if you choose. PUT THESE IN KEEP THESE OUT Vermicomposting: Do NOT add household animal (e.g., cat/dog) RedWorms for a Green Earth wastes as they can harbor dangerous bacteria (Rollinsford, NH): https://redworms-greenearth.com and other pathogens. Bokashi Composter: How Do I Get Started? http://thebokashibucket.com Before you get started, you will need: A container to do your composting in or a designated area to pile compost outside if you do not want to use a bin (see the table on pages 4 & 5 for information on the various types of compost containers).

2 7 Food Recovery Hierarchy Watch out for Contamination What If I Don’t Have a Backyard? EPA’s “Food Recovery Hierarchy” prioritizes If you live in an apartment building or in another actions that people can take to prevent Although biodegradable and compostable food situation where you don’t feel you can set up an ware and other packaging has become popular food waste. outdoor compost system, you can still compost recently, most of these materials are not your food scraps. There are two great options for designed for home composting. They require indoor composting: vermicomposting and Bokashi very high heat and lots of air flow to break systems (see table on page 5 for more information). down, which is achieved only through a Benefits of indoor systems: large-scale commercial composting process. Deal only with food wastes (“greens”) so you don’t need to worry about having the “browns” Are small and can fit almost anywhere – in a closet, cabinet, shelf, or the basement

Produce small amounts of compost that can be used for indoor plants, spread outside on the

landscaping, or given to friends and family

Composting Step-by-Step Step 3: With a pitchfork or shovel, stir the In order for paper and other food compost every week or two to promote air flow in the pile. This helps prevent smells and service products to effectively Follow these basic instructions as best as you can – speeds up decomposition. If you find the break down in a backyard compost you do not have to do everything perfectly to gain the benefits of composting at home: compost starting to smell, add more “browns” system, they need to be made to the material – sawdust is especially helpful. Step 1: Select a dry, shady spot in your yard, Composting is the fifth tier of the hierarchy entirely out of uncoated paper or You might also need to add water on occasion to preferably near a water source, to set up your but still an important one – because even plant fibers. For example, some paper towels provide enough moisture to break down the compost bin, box, or pile. Before setting up include plastic or other non-paper materials to organic matter. If you have a compost bin that when all other actions to reduce food waste your compost bin, make sure to cover the increase their durability or absorbency. Paper tumbles, you need to spin it on a regular basis are tried, some inedible and undesirable ground below it with hardware cloth or other plates are also commonly coated with plastic. to mix up the material to aerate it and reduce barrier material to keep burrowing animals from food parts remain. The next best thing for the smell. keeping these food scraps out of landfills Read the labels on the products you buy to getting in and place down a 6-12 inch layer of make sure they are certified compostable by browns to allow for maximum moisture drainage Step 4: Depending on how often you add is to compost them. Composting will nour- the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and air flow. At the same time, set up a yard material to the compost, how moist it is, and ish the soil and grow the next generation of and/or indicate that they are third party tested waste (“browns”) storage site nearby. Finally, how well you mix it, you should have usable crops, which will in turn result in food to and “meet ASTM standards for compostability”. set up a small container in your kitchen for compost in about 9-12 months. The finished feed more people and animals, continuing collecting food scraps as you peel, dice, product should be dark brown or black and Other common sources of contamination – the cycle. and prep. have an earthy smell. Use it to enrich home that is, things that will not break down garden soil and flower beds; place around Step 2: When the food waste container in your LRPC and NEWMOA’s handout on source in any compost system – include trees, shrubs, and other plant areas where you kitchen is full (or at any time), bring it outside stickers found on produce, and might otherwise add mulch or rocks; or spread reduction – “Reducing Food Waste: Tips and toss the scraps into the center of the synthetic coffee filters or it on problem areas on your lawn to improve the to Save You Money” is available at: www. compost pile/bin. Add a layer of “brown” tea bags. Make sure to soil and help grass grow. If you don’t have a material from the yard waste storage pile to newmoa.org/solidwaste/projects/food/Re- yard, offer it to a neighbor or give it to friends remove these sources completely cover the food waste. Note: when ducing_Food_Waste_Template.pdf and family. of contamination you first begin, it’s best to start with before putting approximately one cubic yard (3 feet by 3 feet) your food waste of organic material so the compost “activates”. in your kitchen Using fresh-cut grass clippings is an easy way collection container. to increase your initial supply of “green” 6 material. 3 TYPE OF COMPOST Choosing a Compost System BENEFITS CHALLENGES CONTAINERS There are several options to choose from when deciding how to set up a home composting Solar Digestor Efficiently breaks down food Does not take yard waste system. scraps, even meat and bones (a unit with a basket Does not produce compost TYPE OF COMPOST installed below the ground Designed to be animal-proof or any usable by-product BENEFITS CHALLENGES CONTAINERS surface and a two-walled Low maintenance – no May be more expensive to component above ground turning or mixing required purchase than other Least expensive and least Can be messy if material is No Bin that takes advantage of compost bin systems amount of effort not properly contained sunlight to provide heat) (static compost pile/heap) Requires installation in Can attract animals and Information online, Helpful hints available at: well-drained in a rela- other pests because it is including at: www.maine.gov/dep/ tively sunny location open – don’t set up the www.planetnatural.com/ sustainability/compost/ pile close to your home composting-101/ backyard_composting.pdf Requires more space than compost-digesters other options Vermicomposting A great option for indoor Requires “Red Wiggler” composting worms that you can Can take longer to produce (composting with worms) order online finished compost Small size - can set up in a Information online, closet or in the basement Not appropriate for outdoor Do-It-Yourself Bin/Box Numerous material and Can be time consuming including at: use – the worms can only design options – many are less to purchase materials and Worms speed up the Directions for a three-bin www.planetnatural.com/ stay alive in temps ranging expensive than construct decomposition of organic system are available at: composting-101/ between 50-80 degrees F purchasing a pre-fabricated materials www.rodalesorganiclife. Requires stirring and mix- indoor-composting/ composter Worms are sensitive to com/garden/how-to-build- ing to make good compost vermicomposting Creates a compost richer in A three-bin system allows sort- moisture and ventilation compost-bin A three-bin system takes nutrients that helps ing and separating of compost changes and require some up more space than improve a soils’ biological, at various stages so that you maintenance other designs chemical, and physical can use some of it quicker properties more than other Some people don’t like Compost Bin Options are relatively Has a fixed capacity – handling worms inexpensive and widely depending on the quantity Minimal odor (pre-fabricated, usually available online and at garden of food waste you generate, with a cover) centers and hardware stores you might need to use two Bokashi Composter Another indoor option Produces an acidic “pre-compost” that needs Breaks down everything Keeps heat in and rainwater Requires stirring and (a sealable 5-gallon bucket further curing – can add including meat, bones, dairy, out (helps maintain proper mixing to make good with a packet of “Bokashi” to a regular compost pile and greasy/oily foods composting conditions) compost mix containing anaerobic or mix with soil and let sit Compost Tumbler Available online and at Cost can vary widely microbes) - is a Decomposition is fast outside for 2 weeks before local garden centers and depending on the style and fermentation process, (typically 10-14 days) using (a barrel shaped bin hardware stores size not true composting mounted on a stand and Fits in small spaces Requires ongoing purchases Information online, of the “Bokashi” mix usually fitted with a crank Reduces/eliminates Requires rotating the Minimal odor (air-tight) problems with animals and tumbler, which can be including at: for turning) Once bucket is full, it other pests because it is off difficult if the system www.planetnatural.com/ needs to sit unopened for the ground retains moisture and gets composting-101/ 10-14 days, so multiple heavy or freezes in the indoor-composting/ units are needed winter bokashi-composting Has a fixed capacity – depending on the quantity of food waste you generate, you might need to use two

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