All
organic materials can be broken-down and decomposed,
but not at the same speed. composting only
the right materials will ensure the highest
quality product. Different composting techniques
can digest different organic wastes, so the
collection at McGill will only be accepting
the following for the time being:
General food waste: |
apples
artichokes
asparagus
bananas
beans
beets
berries
broccoli
brussel sprouts
cabbage |
carrots
celery
citrus fruits & rinds
coffee grounds
corn cobs (chopped)
cucumber
egg shells (crushed)
grapes
lettuce
melons
onions |
oats
and oatmeal
pears
pineapple
potatoes
rice
squash
tea bags and leaves
tomatoes
turnips
zucchini |
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| Other organic waste: |
apple
pomace
cocoa bean shells
corn stalks
dryer lint
garden waste
grass
hair |
hay
hops (spent)
leaves
peat moss
pine needles
plants (chopped)
rhubarb leaves |
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| NOT accepted: |
butter
bones
bread
charcoal or coal ash
cheese
chicken
diseased plants
dog and cat feces
fish |
margarine
mayonnaise
meat
milk
oils
pasta
peanut butter
sour cream
yogurt |
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Click here for supplemental
information on home composting.
.: HOW TO COMPOST OUTDOORS :.
Composting outdoors requires a compost bin
and an adequate location for your bin. Bins
can be purchased from Eco-Quartier, and garden
stores, such as Reno-Depot. We recommend phoning
before hand to ensure the store has them,
for surprisingly some garden stores do not
sell compost bins, such as Canadian Tire.
While compost bins can differ in the materials
they are made from (such as plastic and wood),
their size and structure, they perform the
same function - composting your organic waste
into nutrient-rich soil!
Want to build your own worm bin? Click here for simple instructions!
Setting Up
Your Bin
The best place to set up your bin is in a
sunny area with good
drainage. Make sure the location
is accessible year round. Before setting up
the bin, turn the soil where it will be placed.
After placing the bin, cover the bottom with
3-4 inches of small branches, to allow for
better air flow.
Bins can be set up three different ways, on
the ground, above the ground, and in the ground.
* on the ground allows earthworms to crawl
up from the earth and enter your compost heap.
This is extremely beneficial as worms help
eat the waste – this quickens the decomposition
rate of the organic waste and increases the
nutrient quality of the soil. Worms also help
aerate compost heaps by creating tunnels as
they crawl through them.
* above the ground allows
for natural convection. As the heap heats
up, air is pulled up and through the compost
from the bottom, this increases the amount
of time one can wait between turning their
compost heap. This is helpful for seniors.
* in the ground is helpful for individuals
that want to compost throughout the winter.
Dig a pit about 16 inchese deep and line it
with two layers of concrete blocks. Then set
your compost bin inside. This helps insulate
the compost so that it can continue to decompose
throughout the winter.
Bin Maintenance
Successful decomposition is dependent on many
necessary components. These include a proper
balance between the different materials added
to the heap, and adequate aeration and moisture.
Build Your Own Worm Bin
Materials:
- You will need a non-toxic plastic container
with a tight fitting, such as a standard Rubbermaid® bin. This should be a shallow container
because composting worms only live and eat
in the top 20 cm of the soil.
- rubber mat (large enough to place under
bin – a second lid works well)
- drill
- screen material (mesh fabric or panty hose)
- brass fasteners (or duct-tape)
- rocks (approximately enough to cover the
bottom of your worm bin 1-2 inches; they should
be the around the size of a bottle cap)
- worms: The type of worms Gorilla Composting
uses are Eisinia foetida, AKA African red
wrigglers. These worms are
optimum as they are used to living in rich
organic soils, reproduce the fastest and can
eat twice their own weight in a day.
Step One:
Selecting your bin
Gorilla Composting recommends using a rubbermaid
container to house your worms. These can
be purchased at Canadian Tire, Zellers,
Walmart, etc. Consider the amount of people
in your household and the amount of organic
waste your produce on a weekly basis when
selecting the size of your bin.
Step Two:
Drilling holes in your bin
Composting requires adequate aeration, especially
when worms are living in your heap because
they need to breathe!
A drill is good for making holes in your
bin. Make sure to use a pen to mark where
you will be drilling the holes prior to
drilling.
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The holes should be drilled in clusters so
that screen material can easily be attached
over top. Make sure to drill four holes around
the cluster (in the shape of a square) so
that you can attach screen material.
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Holes should also be drilled on the bottom
of the bin to allow for drainage. Many should
be drilled into the lid. Holes on the bottom
and the lid do not need to be covered with
screen.
Step Three:
Cover the holes with screen material
To avoid your worms crawling out of the bin
cover the holes with some sort of screen material.
Screen from a door or window can be used,
as well as mesh and pantyhose. Please note,
pantyhose will need to be replaced every few
months as it will wear down. |
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Step Four:
Fill up your bin with litter
Your bin is now ready to be filled! Fill the
bottom inch to 2 inches with rocks. This allows
for adequate drainage, ensuring the worms
won’t drown! Next fill your bin about
4 inches deep with soil and then add some
worms. It is suggested that anyone interested
in starting their own worm bin should begin
with 1 lb of red wriggler worms. Unfortunately
these worms are expensive, they sell on average
for $40/ lb. We recommend purchasing these
worms because of their unique ability to eat
twice their body weight in one day. This not
only allows for a greater quantity of waste
to be composted, but also reduces any chance
of odour from your bin due to the rapid rate
at which it is decomposed (in contrast to
earth worms which eat up waste at a much slower
rate thus increasing the risk of the waste
rotting). Our advice: Buy your worms through
us!
Step Five:
Feeding your worms
Please click the following link for instructions
and pictures describing what and how to feed
your worms, how to care for your vermin-bin,
and how to harvest the worm castings.
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What Can I
Put in My Heap?
Materials added to a compost heap are either
carbon rich or nitrogen rich. Carbonaceous
materials are generally brown or yellow, dry,
coarse and bulky. These materials provide
the decomposers (microorganisms) in your compost
heap the energy to break down the waste. Nitrogenous
materials tend to be green, gooey and dense.
High-carbon materials provide decomposers
the energy for reproduction.
Successful composting is dependent on both
kinds of materials in specific ratios. Ideally
the carbon:nitrogen ratio should be between
25:1 and 30:1. Please refer to the chart below
for an understanding of what can and cannot
be composted and what waste is carbon- and
nitrogen-rich.
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Nitrogen Rich
- Rabbit, chicken, sheep, horse
and cattle manure
- Fruit peels and cores
- Vegetable peels
- Egg shells
- Tea bags
- Coffee grounds
- Fresh grass clippings
- Potato skins
- Vines
- Nut shells
- Hair
- Corn husks |
Carbon Rich
- Saw dust
- Leaves and twigs
- Newspapers
- Paper, Kleenexes
(avoid magazines or bleached paper)
- Soil and roots
from a dead potted plant
- Brown bags, cardboard boxes, egg cartons
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Do NOT put in your heap!
- Meat
- Bones
- Dairy products
- Oils
- Cat or dog feces
- Bread and other grains
- Processed or cooked food
- Vinegar
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How To Add Waste
When organic waste decomposes it heats up
producing a hot environment. Add all
organic waste to the centre of your heap
– this allows the rest of the heap to
insulate it. The hotter the heart of the heap
the greater the number of microorganisms that
will breed. Altogether this will increase
the rate at which the heap will decompose
and will reduce any chance of odour. The smaller
the pieces of waste added to your heap, the
quicker it will decompose. So cut
up everything small! Add organic
waste to your bin when it is relatively fresh.
Rotting organic waste will only contribute
to a smelly heap. Alternate your waste in
layers of carbonaceous materials and nitrogenous
materials, do not make the layers too thick.
Leaves that are packed down resist decomposing,
will become slimy and will take years to decay.
To avoid this grind or shred your leaves before
adding them. This can be done by running your
lawn mower over leaves that have been raked
into piles. You can also add a nitrogen supplement,
such as blood meal (available at your garden
store) or manure. This will help the leaves
decompose quicker. Also, avoid letting your
leaves dry out, as this decreases their nutrient
level significantly.
Add grass clippings in thin layers to avoid them
from becoming slimy. Dried grass clippings help
absorb extra moisture. Let your manure dry up before
adding it to your heap. Dried up manures are up
to 5 times higher in nitrogen, phosphoric acid and
potassium.
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Aeration
Compost heaps require regular aeration. The
more frequent the turning, the faster the
heap will decompose. Each time food is added
to the heap, the heap should be turned thouroughly.
A pitch fork is ideal for turning the compost.
Greater air circulation can be induced by
building a bin that is raised a foot or so
off the ground (as described above). Another
trick is to layer perforated pipes throughout
the bin. This will allow air to reach the
pile’s interior and reduce the frequency
of turning the pile.
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Moisture
Compost heaps also require adequate moisture.
It should be as damp as a wrung out sponge
– when squeezed no drops of moisture
should come out. Too little moisture slows
down decomposition and prevents the pile from
heating up. Too much moisture will wash away
nutrients, drown the microrganisms present
in the heap. Too much moisture can be detected
by a foul odour.
Remember – your compost heap should
never smell!
Compost should never smell. Smelly compost
is a sign of inadequate maintenace. Please
follow these simple steps to ensure a healthy
compost heap:
-Cut up organic waste prior to adding it to
your heap. Smaller pieces will decompose faster.
-Add organic waste to your bin when it is
relatively fresh. Rotting organic waste will
only contribute to a smelly heap.
-Add your organic waste to the centre of the
heap. Before adding it, turn and mix your
pile thouroughly, then open the heap and insert
your waste to the centre and cover it back
up.
-Ensure that your bin has openings along the
sides to allow for proper aeration and moisture.
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Suggestions
-Put two bins beside each other. When turning
your compost heap, just move it from one bin
to the other. This will ensure proper mixing.
-Put chicken wire around your bin to prevent
rodents from accessing it.
Is It Finished?
The composting process can take from 2 months
to 2 years, depending on the materials used and
the effort involved.
Compost is ready to be used when it is dark in
colour, crumbly and has an "earthy"
smell. You can sift the compost to eliminate material
which has not yet finished composting. However,
if the soil is going into your garden then any
pieces remaining will continue to decompose in
your garden.
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