Breaking Down Compost.

The first step in managing compost is realizing that it isn’t just “food garbage.” The residual parts of our food waste are complex and we need to build simple habits for how we think about them.

Coffee grounds can go outside.

A lot of people were composting until just recently and had to stop. The boom in neighborhood chickens had also caused a boom in local rat populations and people had to scour anything that could be potential rat food out of their homes and gardens.

This was a lesson on how you and your neighbors create a local ecosystem and that animals of all kinds do not honor property boundaries.

Coffee grounds are not an attractant and most rodents and ants find them a deterrent, so you can keep composting your coffee grounds in your yards and vermicompost bins.

Food scraps go in the freezer.

You can check with the EPA to find resources in your area that will accept compost with food scraps. In Eugene you can add food scraps to your yard debris collection bin. If you are donating food scraps it is best to keep them in your freezer until collection day.

Leave it at the source!

If you buy produce at farm stands and farmer’s markets you can ask if you can shuck your corn and outer lettuce leaves for their compost. They are often obliging and have livestock to feed as well.

Feed a friend

Many of our pets are overweight from too many treats. The next time you take your pet to the vet ask what fruits and veggies they should be eating. Label a container to keep in your fridge for those scraps. Then instead of reaching for a treat from a box, feed them a vet approved veggie snack.
If you are donating your carrot peels to a neighbor’s bunny or guinea pig, you will remember to save those scraps if you get pictures of them eating them at their dinner time! We are very visual people and building habits is hard!

Start small, make it a habit, change your life!