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New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund
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Backyard Composting
Basics of Backyard Composting:
1. Pick a compost container.
- Contact your local hardware store or municipal office to see if they have pre-manufactured backyard composters available.
- Build your own out of a large garbage barrel or from leftover lumber or cinder blocks.
- A simple "pile" in a corner of your yard will also work.
2. To produce the best compost, the bacteria in your pile need three things in order to do their job - air, water and food. The waste organic matter is the food. Air is added by regularly turning the pile. This not only helps the bacteria do its job but also cuts down on odours. Finally, the compost pile should be only as wet as a damp sponge, so check your pile often and add water as needed.
3. Let nature take its course and soon you'll have a natural soil amendment for your garden!
4. Seasonal tips:
- In summer: compost in a partly shaded area where the compost pile won't dry up so you won't need to add water.
- In winter: compost in an area where the pile is sheltered from wind and exposed to lots of sun.
What to Compost
Fruits and vegetables
Breads
Rice, grains
Pasta
Tea bags
Coffee and filters
Egg shells
Paper towels/napkins
Shredded paper
Leaf and yard scraps
What NOT to Compost
These items take a long time to break down and attract neighborhood pets and vermin.
Meat
Chicken
Fish
Bones
Fat
Grease
Vegetable Oils
Dairy
Learn how to Compost
For details on how to compost, click on one of the following:
Vermi (Worm) Composting | |
