Composting at Home
Why Compost?
Composting food is a great way to remove food from the waste stream and create a natural soil rich with nutrients to fertilize your garden.
What to Compost?
To create good compost, you need a mix of nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich items.
Nitrogen-rich ingredients include:
- breads, grains and pasta
- coffee grounds and filters
- tea bags
- eggshells
- grass clippings
- vegetable and fruit scraps
Carbon-rich ingredients include:
- Leaves
- Small or chopped branches, twigs, sticks
- Paper towels
- Shredded paper
- Straw
DO NOT use these items:
- Pet manure
- Pesticide treated plants
- Meats
- Grease or cooking oil
- Bones
- Dairy products
- Treated wood
- Weed plants
You can form a compost pile in your backyard using a shaded area that is well-drained. You may also want to invest in a composting bin, which keeps materials protected and confined.
For more tips on how to compost, check out our backyard composting blog post.
Participate in the Master Composter Class
ACUA and the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station hold a composting class for residents interested in composting at home. The two-day training shows particpants how waste is handled, the benefits of composting and how to compost at home. Visit our webpage to find out when the next training is taking place.
Learn How to Compost with Worms
Composting with worms is a quick and easy way to help the environment. Vermicomposting is a process that involves worms breaking down food scraps to creating a fertilizer for gardens. It takes less space than traditional composting, is inexpensive and low-maintenance! If you are interested in learning more about composting with worms in your home, visit our blog for tips.
Make Your Own DIY Compost Bin at Home
You can build your own compost bin at home without special skills and you don’t need to spend a lot of money! Master Composter David Yeager walks you through the steps, demonstrating how to construct several different kind of bins from easy-to-find materials. Watch Yeager's video, that walks you through the steps, demonstrating how to construct several different kind of bins from recycled materials.
Additional Resources