Whether you have a garden or not, you can put your food scraps and vegetable peels to good use (while reducing the size of landfills and cutting down on your use of plastic garbage bags). The nitrogen- and carbon-rich compost you will thus generate can be used for enriching your plants’ soil.  Depending on your space, your budget and your dedication, you can choose between different options.

• “Greens” (nitrogen-rich materials):  Any kitchen waste such as food scraps, vegetable and fruit peels (or skins), as well as grass clippings.

• “Browns” (carbon-rich materials): Any garden waste from tough fibrous plant parts such as leaves, and wood chips (chopped finely so they decay more quickly)

• Avoid: Meat and dairy products, fish, cooked food, cat and dog feces as they might attract vermin

How Should I Do It?

Second, you will need a compost bin of some sort.

You can make one yourself:

For very inexpensive: with chicken wire, make a 3-feet diameter cylinder

You can also get one from the store, at various prices ($100-300): a compost bin or a tumbler.

Some cities offer compost bins at more than half the price of regular stores, so make sure to contact them. In Los Angeles, visit the Bureau of Sanitation. In Santa Monica, go to Solid Waste Management.

Whatever you choose, you will need to an equal amount of browns and greens by volume. You also need to add a bit of water so it keeps moist, and lightly toss your giant salad once a week with a pitchfork to aerate it. (If you accidentally pour in too much water, add some dry materials to balance the moisture out). And then, just let nature do the rest! In three months or so (or when the color is a nice brown and the smell sweet and earthy), you’ll have some nice compost you can use to have healthier plants and bigger fruits and vegetables.

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