We are building a composting center in the empty lot at 611 W. Healey, so we thought we should share some information about composting. We are newbies to this process, as are many of our residents, so we got some help from the University of Illinois Extension Office. Thanks to Amy DeLorenzo, Extension Educator for providing the information below and Maggie Furr for creating our infographic!
Compost is organic material (typically food scraps and green waste like grass clippings, leaves, sticks, etc.) that is used as a soil amendment. It can be made from material you already have on hand, especially kitchen scraps. It is an alternative to traditional soil amendments like fertilizer and is safe to use on both edible and non-edible plants.
Typically, food and other natural materials that are thrown in garbage cans and landfills get mixed up with other garbage such as plastic, metal, etc. and do not break down effectively. This decomposing material releases methane gas, which is 30x more powerful than carbon dioxide in contributing to climate change. When you compost the material instead you transform it into a valuable resource instead of waste.
There are many ways to participate in composting, and some are more suitable than others depending on your living situation:
There are lots of commonly used household items that can be composted. For a detailed guide on what can and cannot be composted check out the infographic created by UIUC student, Maggie Furr, below.
If you are composting in Illinois, a good resource to check out is the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition. This website will assist you in finding services, answer frequent questions about compost, and provide a community of support if you wish to know more
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