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Did you know that kitchen scraps make up 30% of total household waste? By actively composting, we are significantly reducing the amount of waste we send to our landfills each year.
Aside from the obvious financial and environmental benefits, home owners now have a nutrient-rich supplement which is excellent for conditioning soil for gardens, potted plants and lawns. This compost is the equivalent, or in most cases superior, to that of any store bought soil enhancement product.
Step 1
Decide which composter to use. Consider both size and design. Is it big enough to handle all your compostable waste? Does the design allow for adequate air ventilation and easy access to materials inside?
Composters are available for sale at most hardware stores. ACAP Cape Breton also sells composters courtesy of CBRM Solid Waste Department at the Centre for Sustainable Communities in Sydney.
You may also decide not to use a container at all and just prepare and maintain an area on your property.
Step 2
Choose an area in the yard to place the composter
which is most convenient for you.
Step 3
Build your compost pile by adding your kitchen scraps
and yard waste. There are two basic categories of materials
added to a compost pile. These two groups are referred to
as greens and browns.
Fresh,
moist, nitrogen-rich, organic materials such as:
Bread/Cereal, Cake/Cookies, Chips, Coffee Grounds/Filters, Eggshells, Fruit Peels or Cores, Rice, Pasta, Popcorn, Seaweed, Tea Bags, and Vegetable Scraps.
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Fresh,
moist, nitrogen-rich, organic materials such as:
Leaves, Grass/Hedge Clippings, Hay, Old Flowers and Plant Stems, Plant Clippings, Saw Dust, Twigs/Small Branches, Dryer Lint, Soiled Paper, Soiled Paper Towels, Soiled News Paper and Soiled Pizza Boxes.
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Step 4
Now that you have your compost pile started you must continue
to add materials on a regular basis. If maintained correctly
the composter will yield usable compost within 2 to 3
months.
Things NOT to
put in your compost pile: BBQ coals, charcoal, bones, candy,
cans, chemically treated yard waste, dairy products, diseased
plant material, eggs (except egg shells), glass, grease/fat,
kitty litter, meat/chicken/fish, oils, pet manure, pine
needles, plastic, rhubarb leaves, salad dressings, tin,
walnut shells.
Air must circulate through the compost
pile so that the materials can breakdown. Without air flow
the materials will not breakdown as fast. The pile should
be turned (mixed up) every 2 to 3 weeks.
The compost pile should be moist. A good
rule of thumb is to keep the pile as wet as a wrung out
sponge. If the pile is too dry, add water. If the pile
is too wet, add dry leaves or shredded paper to adsorb
some of the moisture. You can also open the lid to allow
the sun to dry the pile.
Bigger materials take longer to breakdown.
Before throwing in larger twigs or kitchen waste, break
them into smaller pieces. The smaller the better; this
will speed up the decomposing process.
Place a sheet of hardware cloth on the
ground underneath your compost bin. This will prevent any
animals from burrowing up into the compost bin. Hardware
cloth can be found at your local hardware store.
As of June 2006, the Cape Breton Regional
Municipality began the residential curbside collection
launch.
What Goes In Your Green Cart?
Food Waste: Baked Goods, Bones, Bread and Rolls, Butter and Margarine, Cake and Cookies, Candy and Chocolates, Cereal and Oatmeal, Chicken and Poultry, Coffee Filters and Grounds, Corn Cobs and Husks, Dairy Products, Dough, Eggs and Egg Shells, Fish and Fish Parts, Flour and Grains, Fruit and Vegetables, Gravy and Sauces, Grease/Lard/Fat/Oil, Herbs and Spices, Ice Cream, Jams and Jellies, Mayonnaise, Meat and Meat Products, Nuts and Shells, Past and Rice, Peanut Butter, Pizza, Pineapples, Popcorn, Pumpkins, Salad Dressing, Salads, Shellfish, Sugar and Syrups, Soups and Stews, Tea Bags, Yogurt and Pudding.
Other Contents: Soiled and Non Recyclable Paper, Dryer Lint, Grass and Leaves, Twigs and Brush, House and Garden Plants, Wood Shavings and Sawdust, Hair and Pet Hair, Popsicle Sticks. |
Residential organics collection occurs each week on the household’s regular garbage collection day.
Green carts should be stored outside in a convenient, well ventilated area. The wheels attached to the bottom of the cart make it easy to move, even during winter months.
Green carts are designed with vents to release any odors.
Can cigarette butts go in a green cart?
No, they are put in the regular garbage.
Can Tim Horton’s and other beverage
cups be put in a green cart?
No, the cups are placed in the regular garbage, while the
lids can be placed in the blue bag for plastic materials.
Can strawberry baskets go in a green
cart?
Yes, they can.
Can biodegradable bags be used in green
carts and mini kitchen bins?
Yes, if the bags are 100% biodegradable, 100% compostable
and approved by the U.S. Composting Council.
Can wax paper go in a green cart?
Yes, it can.
What is the maximum weight capacity
a green cart can hold?
The maximum weight is 250 pounds.
Can pizza boxes be put in a green cart?
Households are advised to cut out the soiled part of the
box and place it in the green cart. The rest of the box
can go in the blue bag for paper items.
Can you wrap food waste in newspaper
and paper towel?
Yes, it is recommended to decrease odor.
Do green carts have to be filled to
be brought to the curb?
No, they do not have to be filled.
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