To celebrate International Compost Awareness Week this month, we planned to host fun in-person composting 101 workshops to help our Gwinnett neighbors learn how to compost. Unfortunately, COVID-19 made in-person social gatherings impossible, but we persevered in finding a way to raise awareness about composting. Good thing, too, because composting is something we should all be doing. It helps reduce greenhouse gases and curb climate change, nourish soils and plants, prevent erosion, and of course, keep stuff out of landfills! (A LOT of stuff. Compostable waste, like food and yard waste, makes up the largest proportion of the trash in the average home or business.) Think of it as “nature’s recycling”!
Instead of having you come out to a workshop, we brought the workshop to you with seven videos from Gwinnett County neighbors showing off how they compost at home. No matter your budget, your available space, or your tolerance for wiggly worms, you can find a compost system that works perfectly for you. Check out the videos for inspiration!
Keyhole Garden Composting in Lilburn
Amy in Lilburn has several compost bins in her backyard. Kitchen scraps go into the wire mesh composters to directly nourish veggies in her keyhole gardens, while larger debris (like Halloween pumpkins, old garden foliage like spent tomatoes, and large quantities of leaves and small limbs) go into her large compost tumbler and standing bin. Check out Amy’s compost setup, and learn more about keyhole gardens here.
Apartment Composting in Lawrenceville
Gwinnett Recycles founder Laura shows how she composts in a small apartment, combining nitrogen-rich “greens” (fruit and veggie food scraps) from the kitchen with carbon-based “browns” (like cardboard, paper, dirt, sawdust, or wood chips) in an EnviroCycle tumbler to make rich compost. Compost tumblers are sold online and in store at all different price points and sizes to fit your budget and available space!
Worm Composting in Lilburn
Worms would love to help you go zero waste! Learn all about the worm composting method, also called “vermicomposting,” from Lilburn resident and gardening extraordinaire Mandy. It doesn’t take much effort to keep the worms happy, and they turn your kitchen scraps into beautiful compost in no time. You can put your worm compost bin outside, or even indoors if you don’t have a backyard or patio!
Backyard Pile Composting in Duluth
We’ve seen compost gardens, compost tumblers, and worm composting so far, but if low-maintenance is your thing, there’s an even easier (and free!) option: A compost pile! Savannah in Duluth shows off her simple pile that Mother Nature breaks down into nutrient-rich compost. This is so much better than sending kitchen scraps to be mummified in a landfill, but it’s no extra work!
Three-Bin Composting in Peachtree Corners
Valentine in Peachtree Corners presents her three-bin compost system. The advantage of a three-bin system is that it allows you to have different piles of compost in various stages of doneness. The first section is for fresh kitchen and yard material, the second is for decomposing material, and the third is for finished compost ready to be used as a soil additive. A three-bin system is easy to build using old wood pallets or cinderblocks!
Backyard Bin Composting in Lawrenceville
A backyard bin is a classic, easy composting solution. It works similarly to a compost pile, but with food and yard scraps more contained and out-of-sight. And as France in Lawrenceville demonstrates, it doesn’t take much maintenance! Compost bins can be purchased in-store and online in varying sizes. They’re a great way to start composting!
Worm Composting in Norcross
John is an avid sustainable gardener who developed an accessible, simple, and durable backyard worm composting system using cinderblocks. In this video, John shows how the system works, offers an option for smaller spaces, and illustrates how to mix “browns” and “greens” to make the perfect compost. He’s also blogged on our website about why composting is so important to do — check out the article!
Thanks for watching, and happy composting!
About Gwinnett Recycles: Gwinnett Recycles is focused on helping Gwinnett County, the second-largest county in the state of Georgia, reduce, reuse, compost, and recycle more material and keep waste out of landfills and the environment. Gwinnett Recycles is run 100% independently by citizen volunteers. To connect with us and support our efforts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to our newsletter, and consider volunteering with us!
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