Keys To Composting: Layering and Establishing Waste Ratio

Composting, a hobby that goes hand and hand with gardening while also helping the environment.

Putnam County Solid Waste Program Manager Lisa Luck said it is something that anybody can take up with the right supplies.

“You can make your own composting bin yourself,” Luck said. “The one I like the most is pallets. Just lash four pallets together in a square, and there is plenty of ventilation between the flats.”

Luck said start out by dumping the first collection of food waste directly on the ground. Luck said then, sprinkle brown waste such as dead leaves or wood chips. Luck said the key to success is to alternate between the two different wastes and create a ratio of three brown waste to one food waste.

Luck said composting is one of the best ways to manage food waste while also benefiting from nutrients in leftover produce. Luck said a composter should have their first yield in about a year.

“Environmental, composting is the best way to manage your food was