YOUR GUIDE TO BACKYARD COMPOSTING

cityoforlando.net/composter WHAT IS COMPOSTING? Composting is the process of turning kitchen and yard into usable, nutrient FOOD WASTE rich soil through natural decomposition. Inside the composter, organic waste is broken down through a controlled process by micro organisms. By utilizing the PER YEAR correct material, these micro organisms will create a soil product that is incredibly nutrient dense and great for your garden plants. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? • Diverts food and yard waste from the , leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions = • Creates an enriched soil which can be used in your garden • Suppresses plant diseases and pests 474 1.3 • Saves you money by reducing the need for chemical fertilizer POUNDS POUNDS PER HOUSEHOLD PER PERSON USE PER YEAR PER DAY • Amend your garden soil by working compost into it • Sprinkle compost on your lawn to foster healthy and robust soil of everything in • Improve the soil around trees and shrubs by spreading compost near the root zone could (leave 4” clear around the trunk) 24% have been composted or recycled. COMPOST LOCATION • Place the composter on exposed soil in a dry, shady or moderately sunny spot that is near a source of clean water. • Use the four provided plastic screws to secure the composter to the ground. • Make sure it’s convenient to get to the composter, as you’ll be taking your food waste out often. cityoforlando.net/composter 3 STEPS FOR COMPOSTING

PREPARATION MAINTENANCE HARVEST • Chop, shred or tear items into smaller • Cover fresh food waste with a layer of • Compost can be harvested after about pieces. This will help speed up the leaves, other dry yard trimmings, or soil. 4 to 6 months. You’ll know it’s ready decomposition process. • Add water until your compost is the when the soil is a crumbly moist texture • Line your container with newspaper to moisture of a wrung-out sponge. and gives off an earthy aroma. soak up liquids. When you empty the • Periodically stir the container to • For small harvesting, use the harvest bin into the composter the newspaper aerate the compost and encourage door at the base of the composter. can go along with it. decomposition. • For large harvesting, unscrew the • Empty the contents of your container anchoring screws and remove the into your composter. container. Place any large food back in the composter for the next cycle.

Composting requires a mix of nitrogen and carbon to WHAT CAN I COMPOST? create the proper setting for decomposition. such as food scraps, bring nitrogen whereas brown waste, leaves and paper products, add carbon to the mix. GREEN BROWN “NO” LIST • Meat • Fruit • Bones, • Vegetables • Shredded • Nuts • Fats • Crushed egg cardboard • Shells • Grease shells • Bread • Lard • Grains • Oils

• Dairy • Yard • Shredded trimmings (butter, milk, • Coffee grounds black and eggs) • Leaves • Filters white • Diseased plants newspaper • Dryer & vacuum • Charcoal ashes cleaner lint

• Hay • Straw • Toxic materials • Grass clippings • Wood chips • Hair • Nonbiodegradable • House plants • Fur materials • Shredded cotton & • Cat or dog waste wool rags • TROUBLESHOOT YOUR PILE PROBLEM CAUSE SOLUTION Rotten egg smell Insufficient air or too much moisture Turn pile and incorporate coarse browns (sawdust, leaves) Ammonia smell Too much nitrogen Incorporate coarse browns Pile does not heat up or decomposes slowly Pile too small Add more organic matter Insufficeient moisture Turn pile and add water Lack of nitrogen Incorporate food waste Not enough air Turn pile Cold weather Increase pile size of insulate cityoforlando.net/composter RECYCLERECYCLERECYCLE RECYCLERECYCLERECYCLERECYCLERECYCLELOCALLY LOCALLYLOCALLYTogether, we can make a di‹erence. Together,Together, wewe cancan makemake aa di‹erence.di‹erence. PleasePleaseLOCALLYPlease helphelp usus help toto recycle recycleus to recycle everythingeverything everything possible.possible. possible. LOCALLYLOCALLYLOCALLYLOCALLYJuntosTogether, podemos we can makehacer a una di‹erence. diferencia. Por favor, Together,Together,JuntosJuntosLOCALLYTogether,Together, we we can podemoscanpodemos we makewe make can can a haceramakehacer makedi‹erence. di‹erence. a una unaa di‹erence. di‹erence. diferencia.diferencia. PorPor favor,favor, Together, we can make a di‹erence. Pleaseayúdanosayúdanos Pleasehelp usayúdanosPlease help to a arecycle reciclarusreciclar help to a recycle useverythingreciclar todo todoto recycle everything lolo todo posible.posible. possible. everything lo posible. possible. possible. Please Pleasehelp usPlease help to recycle ushelp to usrecycle everything to recycle everything possible. everything possible. possible. Juntos JuntospodemosJuntos podemos hacer podemos una hacer diferencia. unahacer diferencia. una Por diferencia. favor, Por favor, Por favor, The City of Orlando uses single stream recycling, soJuntos put all Juntospodemosof yourJuntos recyclablespodemos hacer podemos una intohacer diferencia. the hacer una cart. diferencia. Largeuna Por diferencia. boxes favor, Por can favor, get Por stuck favor, and cause ayúdanosayúdanos a reciclarayúdanos a reciclar todo a loreciclar todoposible. lo todo posible. lo posible. recycling to stay in your cart. Break boxes down soayúdanos they comeayúdanos aout reciclarayúdanos of the a reciclar carttodo aeasily. reciclarlo todoposible. Items lotodo accepted:posible. lo posible.

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PaperPaper Cardboard,Cardboard,PaperPaper Cardboard, Cardboard, DairyDairy && Dairy Dairy & & FlattenedFlattenedFlattenedFlattened CardboardCardboard Cardboard && & & JunkJunkJunk MailMailJunk Mail && MagazinesMailMagazines & Magazines & Magazines PaperPaper Cardboard, Cardboard,PaperPaper Cardboard, Cardboard, Dairy Dairy & & Dairy Dairy & & FlattenedFlattenedFlattenedFlattened Cardboard Cardboard Cardboard Cardboard & & & & JunkJunk Mail MailJunkJunk & & Magazines MagazinesMail Mail & Junk& Magazines Magazines mail & magazines Paper cardboard,JuiceJuice ContainersContainersPaperJuice dairyJuice Cardboard,Containers & juice Containers Dairy & FlattenedPaperboardPaperboard FlattenedcardboardPaperboardPaperboard Cardboard & paperboard & Revistas,Revistas,Revistas,Revistas,Junk correspondenciacorrespondencia Mail correspondencia correspondencia & Magazines nono no no JuiceJuice Containers ContainersJuiceJuice Containers Containers PaperboardPaperboardPaperboardPaperboard Revistas,Revistas,Revistas, correspondenciaRevistas, correspondencia correspondencia correspondencia no no no no EnvasesEnvasescontainersEnvases dede papelEnvasespapelJuice de cartón,cartón, papelde Containers papel cartón, cartón, CartónCartón yCartóny Cartón cartulinacartulina yy Paperboardcartulinacartulina aplastadosaplastados aplastados aplastados Revistas,solicitadasolicitada correspondenciasolicitadasolicitada no EnvasesEnvases Envasesde Envasesde papel papel de cartón,de cartón, papel papel cartón, cartón, CartónCartón y yCartón cartulina Cartóncartulina y y cartulina cartulinaaplastados aplastados aplastados aplastados solicitadasolicitadasolicitadasolicitada productosproductosproductos lácteoslácteosproductosEnvases lácteos yy de jugosjugos lácteos papel y jugos cartón,y jugos Cartón y cartulina aplastados solicitada productosproductosproductosproductos lácteos lácteos y lácteosy jugoslácteos jugos y y jugos jugos productos lácteos y jugos DO NOT INCLUDE: Food waste, plastic bags, polystyrene foam cups & containers or aluminum food pans.

NO INCLUYA: Comida desechada, bolsas de plastico o vasos y contendores de goma de poliestireno NONO INCLUYA: INCLUYA:NONO INCLUYA: INCLUYA: Comida Comida desechada,Comida desechada,Comida desechada, desechada, bolsas bolsas de de bolsas bolsas plastico plastico de de plasticoo oplastico vasos vasos y oy ocontendores vasoscontendores vasos y y contendores contendores de de goma goma de de de goma poliestirenogoma poliestireno de de poliestireno poliestireno NONO INCLUYA:INCLUYA:NO INCLUYA:NO ComidaComida INCLUYA: Comida desechada,desechada, Comida desechada, desechada, bolsasbolsas dedebolsas bolsas plasticoplastico de de plastico plastico oo vasosvasos o yy vasos vasos contendorescontendores y y contendores contendores dede gomagoma de de goma dede goma poliestirenopoliestireno de poliestirenode poliestireno To order recycling carts and dumpsters, or for more information KeepToTo orderfood order Towaste, recyclingTo recycling order order plastic recycling recycling carts carts bags, and and carts cartspolystyrene dumpsters, dumpsters, and and dumpsters, dumpsters, foam or or for for cups more more or or & for forinformationcontainers, information more more information information aluminum food pans and other plastic film out of the recycling pleaseTo order email recycling [email protected]. carts and dumpsters, or for more information cart.pleaseplease PlasticToTo orderorder email emailplease pleasebagsTo recycling recycling [email protected]. order [email protected]. harmemail email recycling [email protected]. [email protected]. cartscarts andmachinery,and carts dumpsters,dumpsters, and empty dumpsters, ororthe forfor recycling moremore or for informationdirectlyinformation more informationinto the cart. pleaseplease emailpleaseemailplease [email protected]@cityoforlando.net. email email [email protected]. [email protected]. DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN RECYCLE GREASE? Pouring oil and grease down your drain can easily damage the interior of your Types of oil accepted: appliances. The City of Orlando provides a free used cooking oil recycling service • Leftover grease from cooking animal fat • Simply pour your used oil into a shatter-proof container. (i.e. bacon) • Once full, bring it in to one of our many drop off locations. • All vegetable oil • Visit cityoforlando.net/grease to find drop off locations near you. • Corn oil • Olive oil • Peanut oil • Sesame oil cityoforlando.com/greenworks • Soy bean oil [email protected] • Sunflower oil 407.246.2314 • Canola Oil • Lard • NO MOTOR OIL