If you’re like me, you think about composting all the time. But you never get around to it because you don’t know how. Well, that ends now! Here is your ultimate guide to composting:
What Is Composting?
Composting is the process of recycling organic materials into a soil-enriching product.
To Compost, or Not to Compost
Raw fruits and vegetables, including peelings, can be composted. Also, coffee grounds, eggshells, and uncooked grains and rice.
Among the food and items you cannot compost are meat and bones, food products cooked with or in oils, fat, or grease, dairy products, pet waste, diapers, and plastics. For more examples, check the City of Madison’s banned list.
If you aren’t sure whether something is acceptable, contact the Streets and Urban Forestry Offices.
How to Compost at Home
Use an enclosed bin to retain heat and moisture. For composting kitchen waste, bury the waste below a layer of greens, like grass clippings, for nitrogen. Also throw in some brown materials, like dry leaves or clean newsprint, for carbon. Keep your compost damp.
Allow the compost to cure, or finish, for at least four weeks, before using it to feed your home garden. Remove items that didn’t break down, such as fruit pits and eggshells, which can also be added back into an active composting pile. You can use your compost as soil for indoor plants, flower and vegetable beds, and more.
Ready to dive in? Here’s a picture guide to composting at home from the City of Madison. And brush up your knowledge of the city’s composting ordinance.
Where Drop Off Your Compost
There are three drop-off sites around Madison: the Eastside Farmers Market, the South Madison Farmers Market, and the West Community Market. Confirm dates and times for composting for each site.
