Green Leagues: FAQ

When organics get sent to the landfill, they get trapped underneath other garbage. When this happens, the lack of oxygen causes the organic waste to produce methane gas as it breaks down. Methane is roughly 25 times worse than carbon dioxide for contributing to climate change. This can be avoided by composting at home, but many people don’t know how to compost or are concerned about the smell. Below, we explain how to compost and ways to reduce nasty smells coming from the compost pile.

The first step is to purchase a kitchen compost pail and create an outdoor compost pile. A kitchen pail is a small receptacle for organic wastes that sits on your kitchen counter and is emptied into the outdoor compost pile regularly. Some kitchen compost pails come with filters to help reduce the smell. Just be sure to replace the filter regularly or it will stop working, and always empty the compost pail every few days, rinsing the pail each time (Tip: put a folded piece of paper towel in the bottom of the pail to help make cleaning and emptying easier).

There are several ways to create an outdoor compost pile. The cheapest way is to dig a hole in the ground and dump your organic wastes inside. This is typically only done on large properties such as acreages where a lot of yard wastes accumulate. If you decide to go this route, make sure to fence off your pile to prevent critters and pests from getting into the pile and making a mess.

In the city, it is typical to use a compost bin for your outdoor pile. Compost bins are large black bins with holes in the sides for air circulation. Bins can be purchased from the garden section of your local hardware store. Alternatively, you can make your own compost bin by drilling holes in a black garbage pail.

For a compost pile to be effective, it must be turned regularly. Turning your compost involves mixing it up to increase air circulation throughout the pile. If organic wastes break down without the presence of oxygen, methane is created. To avoid this, the pile must be turned regularly. Turning the pile also increases the speed of the composting process. To turn your pile, you can use a shovel or garden fork, though this can be difficult in store-bought bins. An alternative is to purchase a compost turner. These tools designed specifically to mix up the compost pile can be found online or at your local hardware store. Finally, you can purchase outdoor compost tumblers that turn the pile over with a crank, eliminating the need to mix the pile with a fork or compost turner. Again, the pile should be turned over regularly, generally a minimum of once a week to be effective and reduce methane production. Turning over the pile also reduces odours. The more you turn or mix your compost pile, the less it will smell. Also, try placing the pile away from where you spend time. Ideally, place the compost pile in a corner of the yard, away from the patio and back door and in a shady location.

Almost all organic wastes can be composted. Organic wastes from the kitchen can be put into the compost. This includes vegetable cuttings, fruit peels and pits, and even coffee grounds and eggshells (eggshells will no break down with the rest but help to oxygenate the compost and improve drainage). Make sure to avoid meat scraps and fats. For outdoor wastes, dead leaves, grass clippings, and plant wastes are all compostable. If you have dogs, avoid adding grass clippings from the backyard. Also avoid adding weeds whenever possible, since you don’t want to add seeds from noxious plants into your garden. Finally, maintaining a healthy balance between nitrogen and carbon will help speed up the composting process and cut down on odors. The best way to ensure a good ratio of nitrogen to carbon in your pile is to include roughly 2 parts green organics to 1 part brown organics (this is more of a general guideline than an exact science, so don’t worry if you can’t achieve this ratio exactly–even one part green to one part brown organics works well).

Composting is great for the environment and can also help with home gardening. Gardeners call compost “black gold” because it is such an effective fertilizer. Sprinkle compost on your garden or mix it with peat moss and pearlite for a great potting mix.

While Edmonton does not currently have a green bin program (though they are currently running a green bin pilot program – check out the Edmonton Journal article about the program here,), there are other ways to compost without a backyard. One way is to find out if your Community League has a Community Garden. Most Community Gardens throughout the city have composting programs. If you’re unsure, check out this link for a map of Community Gardens in Edmonton, or contact your local Community League to find out.

As a part of the City of Edmonton’s new zero waste policy, a green bin program is expected to roll out city-wide around 2020. The new waste program will require residents to sort recyclables, kitchen organics, yard waste, and general waste into four separate coloured bins. Get ahead of the game by learning to compost now, and you may avoid headaches in the future.

If there isn’t a Community Garden near you, or if you don’t want to transport your organic waste, you can create a Worm Bin. A worm bin is a compost bin you can keep inside your house! The worms help speed up the decomposition process, resulting in fewer odours and no turning over of the bin. This method requires more preparation than backyard composting but is a great alternative for people living in apartments or without access to a backyard. Here is how you do it:

1. Purchase or build your worm bin. You can purchase a pre-made worm bin or make your own. To make a worm bin, buy a ceramic container of the appropriate size (the size will depend on how much space you have in your apartment and how much organic waste you produce) and cut or drill holes in the top and bottom of the container. Place the bin on a drainage tray to catch any liquids coming out of the bottom.
2. Prep your bin. Cover the bottom of the bin with strips of paper (either cut newspaper into strips or, if you have a shredder, you can use shredded paper–bonus points since shredded paper cannot be recycled!). Next, pour a small amount of potting soil or peat moss onto the paper scraps, then add your worms. Worms can be purchased from your local bait shop, or at some specialty gardening stores. You need roughly one pound of worms per square foot of container space.
3. Place the worm bin indoors (the worms prefer room temperature), preferably somewhere it will receive some sunlight.

You’re all set to add your kitchen organics. Since you want to maintain a healthy carbon and nitrogen balance (see above), you will want to add kitchen waste and paper at a roughly even ratio throughout the process. It may also help to have two worm bins, which you can cycle so that you have compost for house plants (or a windowsill herb garden) in one bin while the worms go to work on the other bin. You can add most of the same wastes to your worm bin as you would to an outdoor compost bin, except for citrus peals; worms do not like citrus, so continue to throw these in the trash.

While this might change in the future, in Edmonton we don’t currently have to separate our paper, plastic, metal, and glass for recycling. Most paper, plastic, metal, and glass can be recycled, with a few exceptions. Never include any broken glass or sharp metals in your recycling bag as it is hazardous to sorters. And always rinse everything clean before putting it into the recycling. If you’re unsure of what you can put into your blue bag, download the WasteWise app on the Google Play or App Store on your phone, check out this guide from the city of Edmonton, or visit their website here.

All items that cannot be recycled, composted or sent to the landfill can be brought to your local Eco Station. There are small fees associated with bringing certain items to the Eco Station, but they are never expensive. Some items that should be brought to the Eco Station include batteries, broken appliances, and scrap metals, electronics, household hazardous wastes, and large items and mixed wastes such as old furniture or picture frames. For more information, visit the City of Edmonton’s website here.

Always look for more ways to reduce plastic use and to re-use anything. Consider purchasing tote bags or boxes to bring to the grocery store. Grocery bags account for a huge amount of plastic consumption. Also, consider purchasing reusable straws, and skip the lid on purchased drinks whenever possible. Better yet, make your coffee and tea at home and use a reusable thermos; you’ll save money and the environment all in one go!

Another part of the City of Edmonton’s zero waste plan is the banning of single-use plastics. With pressure from citizens to address climate change, you can expect this change to roll out soon.

If you’re done with something but it’s still good, bring it to the Good Will or put it up on Kijiji or Craigslist so someone else can use it. Similarly, if you need something, check Kijiji first; often, you can find perfectly good things with little to no wear for a fraction of the price when purchased new. We live in a throw-away culture, but we don’t have to. There are more ways than ever to conveniently find used items or donate used things for others. Every time an object is re-used, it cuts down not only on the energy and materials used in manufacturing but also on the transportation emissions associated with bringing it to the store or your doorstep.