FOOD WASTE & COMPOSTING CONNECTION

The secret's out: it's composting. Composting is nature’s way of recycling. Take old food scraps, the leftovers from dinner, or something gone moldy - and turn it into a new resource.

U.S. households now waste about $728 of food each year — roughly 10% of what we spend on groceries. A 2023 MITRE-Gallup survey found 87% of households toss edible food weekly, averaging 6.2 cups. That’s like throwing away a full bag of groceries every month — a costly, preventable habit. 

Composting happens naturally, and with just a few pointers it can be done very simply in your backyard. Composting helps cut down on one of the major sources of waste we send to landfills, saves money and gives us in return rich soil for gardening.

 COSTS & SAVINGS

Cut food (and money) waste by planning meals, saving leftovers, and composting the rest.

You can start a compost for no or little cost, and easily save $100 or more each year from avoided trash tag and pick up fees. By composting you have less trash and have to take the trash out less often as you no longer have stinky, rotting food waste in your can. Use composting as a way to save money by:

• cutting down on trash bags needed to dispose of food waste;
• eliminating the need to purchase expensive fertilizers for your garden;
• growing even healthier, more abundant food at home with compost you made yourself! 

Tompkins County residents may also choose to recycle food scraps at one of the County’s Food Scrap Recycling drop spots. 

For all your composting questions, call the Tompkins County “Rotline” at 607-272-2292.

WHO SHOULD COMPOST?

Everyone can compost.

1. Have space? Try backyard composting with any number of bins, or no bin at all.
2. No space? Try composting indoors with a worm bin, or participate in the Food Scrap Recycling program (Tompkins County Residents).

COMPOST AT HOME

While you can compost just by chucking all your food scraps and yard waste in a pile in your backyard, if you want to produce quality compost in a relatively short amount of time with little odors you want to keep three principles in mind:

• Materials- the microbes that break down the scraps into soil work best with a proper ratio of high-carbon materials (“browns”) and high-nitrogen materials (“greens”). For good results, follow the “lasagna method”  and alternate layers of greens like food scraps and grass clippings with browns like fallen leaves or old shredded newsprint.
• Size- try to build a pile that is at least three feet cubed (picture a short washing machine). Build a bin this size with welded wire (pdf), which is inexpensive and easy to set up. You can also purchase an “Earth Machine” bin from the TC Solid Waste facility for $68.
• Moisture & Aeration-Lasagna composting will ensure a good balance of moisture and aeration. Throw in twigs now and then to create air passages. If your pile gets occasional rain and you add the proper mix of browns and greens you should have enough moisture for an optimal composting environment.

Find much more detailed guidance about composting on the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County website.There you can learn about ongoing classes and workshops (including composting with worms), and about becoming a trained Master Composter.

FOOD SCRAP RECYCLING DROP OFF

If you can’t compost at home, bring up to 10 gallons/day to county Food Scraps Drop Spots—free and located across Tompkins county (see current list & hours). 

• Accepted:
  • All food scraps, including meat, fish & bones
  • Coffee grounds & filters
  • Paper towels/napkins
• Not accepted:
  • Paper plates/cups or other compostable serviceware
  • Plastic, metal, glass
  • Pet waste or yard waste
• Supplies:
  • Kitchen caddies are free
  • Transport containers available for purchase

GOT QUESTIONS AND/OR IDEAS?

• Check out the home composting page on the Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County website
• Call the “Rotline”, the compost hotline, at 272-2292.
• Write Adam Michaelides, Compost Educator, and the man behind Captain Compost (video) at acm1@cornell.edu.