Food scraps make up one third of a typical household’s trash. When food scraps are sent to the landfill, they take up space in our limited landfills and contribute to the increased production of methane and toxic leachate. If all of the food scraps in Vermont were diverted from the landfill by composting, it would offset the same amount of carbon as not burning 12 million gallons of gasoline every year!
Home Composting Systems
There are many different types of home composting systems. These include:
- Vermicomposting Worm composting, also known as vermicomposting or vermiculture, is an inexpensive way to acquire an incredibly rich and fertile soil amendment for your garden and house plants. Worms will feed on the bacteria and fungi that are feeding on your food scraps and bedding waste. The worm castings (or worm poop) that they excrete is biologically active, nutrient rich, and contains microbes that are capable of suppressing plant diseases
- Compost bin systems
- Passive compost system (“Pile it and Forget it”)
Practical Guides for Composting at Home
- Composting at Home in 6 Easy Steps
- What to Compost – Fridge Magnet or Printable
- What to Compost – Compost Separation Poster
- Composting Q & A [Word Doc]
- A Guide to Home Composting
- Hot Compost Bin System
Vermicomposting at Home
Pros and Cons of Composting at Home
Resources and Information
Rules and Regulations for Composting at Home
Composting Outside of the Home
Not everyone has the space, resources, or time to compost at home. Instead, you may want to separate your food scraps from the rest of your waste and drop them off at a local transfer or recycling center. Check-out this guide to learn more about separating your food scraps for industrial composting. Depending on your location, you may even be able to access curbside pickup for your food scraps! Check out this map/list to see what is available in your area!