- Composting is a process of recycling unusable organic material back into something usable
- Almost any non-animal-based food or non-synthetic material can be broken down into compost
- The end result is a nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used for gardening or potted plants
Composting
I. Three Basic Ingredients
- Browns: dead leaves, paper, yard waste (high in carbon)
- Greens: food scraps, grass clippings, and eggshells (high in nitrogen)
- Water: water helps facilitate the breakdown of your materials
- Should be roughly equal greens to browns
- Moisten materials as you add them to the pile
- Ensure that you turn over the compost pile every couple of days and remoisten
- Once the material on the bottom is dark and soil-like it is ready for use!
- Can
- Fruit and veggie scraps
- Coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags
- Leaves, grass clippings, clover, pine needles/cones, and straw
- Feathers, corn cobs, shredded paper, and paper towels
- Manure
- Bread, nutshells, and eggshells
- Dead leaves/plants, potting soil, dried flowers, and sawdust
- Hair
- Dryer lint (only if dryer sheets were not used)
- Cannot
- Weeds with seeds
- Sand, coal, and charcoal ashes
- Colored, glossy or film paper
- Meat and fish scraps, cheese/dairy, oils and grease
- Pet feces or cat litter
- Dead animals
- Large pieces of wood or branches, treated lumber, and warehouse pallets
- Tin, aluminum, and steel
- Peanut butter
- Lowers carbon footprint
- Enriches soil
- Reduces need for chemical fertilizers
- Conserves water and money
Quick Links
Contact Us
Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability and Energy325 Montgomery Hall
DeKalb, IL 60115
Phone: 815-753-6563
Fax: 815-753-2902
Email: envs@niu.edu