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Home Composting for Zero Waste (Everything You Wanted to Know about Composting but Were Afraid to Ask) (MassDEP)

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Home Composting for Zero Waste

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(Everything You Wanted to Know about Composting but Were Afraid to Ask)

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Suggested audience: children and families, suitable for all ages

Home composting is easier than people might think. Most of the work is done by nature's composting work force (decomposers), and all we have to do is feed them our food scraps and yard waste, give them air, water, and a place to live, and they'll do the work of converting our "garbage" into "gold" for our gardens - black gold. Compost restores life to soil and helps plants thrive.

You can singlehandedly reduce your trash to practically zero if you compost, reduce, reuse, and recycle!

The slides from the presentation are available here: 
https://www.mass.gov/doc/presentation-home-composting-for-zero-waste/download 

Below are additional links that were included or referenced in the presentation and may be helpful for your composting efforts or for educating others about composting: 

CT DEEP Home Composting Turning Your Spoils to Soil video: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Waste-Management-and-Disposal/Organics-Recycling/Compost-Video-Downloads#Home

MassDEP's Home Composting & Green Landscaping resources:
https://www.mass.gov/lists/home-composting-green-landscaping#backyard-composting-

MassDEP Infographic Why Should I Compost?: https://www.mass.gov/doc/infographic-why-should-i-compost/download

Home Composting Webinar, 5/4/20: Video: Turn Garbage into Gold Composting at Home 

Home Composting brochure: https://www.mass.gov/doc/home-composting-tips-a-guide-to-composting-yard-food-waste/download

Composting is Easy poster/flyer: https://www.mass.gov/doc/poster-composting-is-easy/download

Compost Food Web poster/flyer: https://www.thegreenteam.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Compost-Food-Web-Poster.pdf

Don't Trash Grass brochure: https://www.mass.gov/doc/dont-trash-grass/download

List of compost bin distribution programs: https://www.mass.gov/doc/list-of-massachusetts-compost-bin-distribution-programs/download

A source of compost bins for residents whose towns don't offer them is Boston Building Resources: https://www.bostonbuildingresources.com/weatherization-conservation

Vermicomposting (Worm composting) fact sheet: https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdep-fact-sheet-vermicomposting-indoor-composting-with-worms/download

How to Control Fruit Flies and Fungus Gnats: https://www.mass.gov/doc/massdep-fact-sheet-how-to-control-fruit-flies-fungus-gnats/download

MassDEP Home Composting Workshops & Demonstrations 

Home Composting presentation outline and script for teaching: https://www.mass.gov/doc/teaching-residents-about-composting-outline-talking-points/download

Lawns & Landscapes in Your Watershed: https://www.mass.gov/guides/lawns-and-landscapes-in-your-watershed

Resources for teachers and schools: https://thegreenteam.org/