A message from the Bay Village Green Team

Composting 101  

Why compost?

• Composting creates rich organic soil amendment that you can use to “green” your yard
• Yard trimmings and food scraps make up approximately 25 - 30% of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. Composting reduces your ecological footprint by reducing garbage being landfilled.
• Composting reduces water pollution by reducing the need for fertilizers, which prevent algae blooms and fish kills in lakes and streams.  

This is the time of year for winterizing your flower beds and raking leaves. What a great opportunity to start COMPOSTING your organic yard waste. 

It’s easy to get started:

• You’ll need a sunny, level spot outdoors for your compost bin or pile.
• Choose a discreet compost location-- in the back yard and off the property line.
• You can make a bin from old wood pallets or an old garbage can. Remember—the bin MUST have holes to allow air in, so if you use an old garbage bin, you must drill holes all around it.
• You can also purchase a bin at a discounted price of $50 from the Cuyahoga Solid Waste District. (Contact information is on the website at www.cuyahogaswd.org) 

Once you have your compost bin:

• Start with 4-6 inches of base material--Chopped brush, twigs or wood chips on the ground
• Then add:
   2-4 inches of GREEN (organic) material—Plant clippings, vegetable scraps, fruit scraps, flowers, grass clippings, coffee grounds, tea bags
• 4-6 inches of BROWN (organic) material-- Dead leaves, straw, sawdust, wood chips, shredded newspaper, dryer/vacuum lint, nut shells 

After that, continue to add material at the rate of 1-2 part green to 2-3 part brown. 

Turn your compost pile regularly and keep moist. 

A properly maintained compost pile will have an “earthy” smell and will provide you with a free source of valuable organic soil amendments to use in place of fertilizers.