Composting is a great alternative to throwing your inedible food in the trash. When done properly, it can become a valuable resource for your yard and gardens. It is a simple way that you can make a positive impact on our planet for future generations.
Here are a few things using compost can do:
- Add nutrients to lawns and gardens
- Suppress plant diseases and parasites
- Decrease soil erosion
- Increase water holding capacity
- Kill weeds
We developed this toolkit as a way to help you get started in reducing food waste at home and beginning to successfully compost.
Included in this toolkit
- Steps to reduce food waste
- Factors that make for a successful compost pile (i.e. moisture, organic materials, air, temperature)
- Helpful hints
- Troubleshooting composting problems
The development of this material is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. This material is based upon work supported under a grant by the Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Rural Utilities Service.
The Iowa Waste Reduction Center and the University of Northern Iowa are an equal opportunity provider and employer.