Green Action – Compost

Be more green!
You can make a difference today!
Make many small changes to make one big change!
And you’ll save a lot!
Take action now!
Here’s one idea.
Compost! 
Welcome to Fall!  A time of harvest and preparation for the winter season ahead.  A time also for cleaning up and raking the colorful leaves that sometimes overwhelm our lawns.
Yes, Its the time of year where we get inundated with organic waste, leaves and, garden clippings not to mention pumpkins, hay bales, and cornstalks!
With all this organic waste overwhelming us, let’s think about the time and energy we waste bagging and carting it off to the dump when we could put it where is belongs… back into the soil.
Did you know that over 27 percent of the US municipal solid waste stream is made of of yard timings and food residuals? That’s over one quarter of the total waste we send off to land fills across America. The Environmental Defense Fund says that around 18 percent of the waste an average family in the U.S. produces comes from the yard and garden. When you recycle your yard and garden waste, you reduce the amount of energy used to send this waste to the dump. Add your organic kitchen scraps to your yard waste and you’re significantly decreasing your waste.
According to the EPA…In 2010, more than 34 million tons of food waste was generated, more than any other material category but paper. Food waste accounted for almost 14 percent of the total municipal solid waste stream, less than three percent of which was recovered and recycled in 2010. The rest -33 million tons- was thrown away, making food waste the single largest component of MSW reaching landfills and incinerators.
Composting can not only cut your waste energy costs and help reduce the waste stream in your community it also benefits your yard.  Composted soil retains more water and air, improves the soil structure and stimulates root growth in plants.  It can also reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.
What can you safely compost?  Here is a just small list.
Animal manure
Cardboard rolls
Clean paper
Coffee grounds and filters
Cotton rags
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Eggshells
Fireplace ashes
Fruits and vegetables
Grass clippings
Hair and fur
Hay and straw
Houseplants
Leaves
Nut shells
Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
Plain cooked pasta
Plain cooked rice
Sawdust
Shredded newspaper
Tea bags
Stale bread
Stale saltine crackers
Stale cereal
Used paper napkins
Wood chips
Wool rags
Yard trimmings
Find more resources that will help you take action now here.
Find environmental organizations to support here.