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DECiding on Compost? – Check out our new guide

May 3 – 9 is International Composting Awareness Week (ICAW)! This year’s theme is “Compost! Feed the Soil that Feeds Us!” Whether you’re a new or experienced composter, composting can benefit you if you are looking to save both natural resources and money. Want to consider or refine your composting at home? Then we are pleased to announce that DEC has a new resource—our Home Composting Guide – Making Compost Takes Some Care (PDF). Below is a glance at what you can find in the guide:

New to Home Composting? – Let’s Get Started

Decide which option is best for you
- Do-It-Yourself Bins
- Buy a Bin
- Open Composting
- Multi-bin Composting
The Compost Recipe: Making Compost Takes Some Care; Add Greens, Browns, Water, and Air

compost bin graphic showing the three things necessary for composting — Tip: Always mix food scraps into the middle of the pile and cover them with browns to avoid odors and pests.

What not to add to your home composting pile:
- Meat, bones, or seafood scraps
- Metal
- Dog, cat, or human waste
- Diseased or infected plants (unless you have consistently hot compost pile)
- Dairy products
- Glass
- Treated or painted wood
- Trimmings toxic to other plants (e.g., black walnut or hemlock)
- Oils, fats, or grease
- Plastic
- Coal ash from briquettes or fireplace ash
- Plants that spread through rhizomes (e.g., Japanese knotweed, iris, lily of the valley, and pachysandra)

Experiencing Problems with your Compost Pile? Here are some Solutions!

Issue	Cause	Solution
Rotten egg smell	Too much water and not enough air	Turn the pile and add more browns if it's soggy
Ammonia smell	Too much nitrogen or not enough air	Add browns and turn the pile
Pile isn't decomposing quickly enough or isn't producing enough heat	Pile too small	Mix new ingredients into the pile
	Material is too dry	Add water and turn the pile
	Pile needs nitrogen	Add greens
	Pile needs oxygen	Turn the pile more frequently
The pile is too hot. The temperature is 170 F or higher	Too much nitrogen	Spread the pile out or transfer it into another bin and add water
Pile freezes in the winter	Pile is too small and not insulated	Increase the pile's size and add more material. Add a layer of browns around the bin as insulation.
Flies and/or gnats are around the pile	The food scraps are exposed	Buy food scraps under at least 3 inches of browns or composting material
Animals are attracted to the pile	Food scraps are exposed. The pile is not animal resistant.	Bury food scraps under at least 3 inches of browns or composting material. Use 1/2-inch hardware cloth under and around the pile

Maintenance

Always mix food scraps into the middle of the pile and cover them with browns to avoid odors and pests.

Temperature check – higher temperatures provide an environment where the microorganisms can work to break down the material more quickly. Use a compost thermometer – take the temperature from the center of the pile, where it is the hottest. A hot compost pile can reach temperature of 130°F to 160°F.

When will the compost be ready to use?

Finished compost is the rich, brown color of good soil and smells earthy. There will be no remnants of food or yard trimmings.

Addressing Common Misconceptions About Composting

It is, in fact, legal to compost in your backyard
Meats and dairy products – not recommended or backyard composting but can go to a larger composting facility
Smell – if you do it correctly it shouldn’t smell pungent
You don't need to have a backyard if you want to compost. Try:
- vermicomposting
- drop-off your food scraps through a local food scraps drop-off program or have them picked up curbside with residential services

Other Methods of Composting and Diversion

Residential Food Scrap Collection Haulers – possible curbside pickup is available in some areas. Find residential collection services near you.
Community Food Scraps Drop-Off Programs – learn about community collection points. Find food scraps drop-off programs services near you.
Vermicomposting – worm bin composting – a popular option.
Kitchen Food Scraps Recycling Machines – use electricity and through heat and agitation result in compostable materials. Helpful if you have no or limited outdoor space.
Outdoor Food Digesters – can accelerate the process through implementing aids such as solar.
Bokashi – find details on this anaerobic method which originated in Japan.
Pit or Trench Composting – involves digging holes to bury organic materials.
Mulch Moving Leaves and Grass – learn how to “leave it on the lawn” to benefit your yard. Learn What to Do with Fall Leaves.
Purchase compost from a compost facility or local garden center – Find compost available for purchase near you.

Be sure to check out the Home Composting Guide (PDF) for more details.

The Dirt on Composting

The latest "DEC Does What?" Podcast episode is all about composting! Hear directly from two of DEC's composting experts!

Did you know that?

There are over 150 regulated composting operations across NYS.

You can compost your leftover pumpkin(s) at home.

169,592,000 lbs. – amount of food scraps composted at regulated facilities in NYS in 2023.

Be a Friend of the Environment

The buzz about bees - looking to plant flowers. Why not create a pollinator garden? Pollinators help our environment, and they can use our help as well - and one way to do that is through growing pollinator-friendly plants. And keep an eye out as National Pollinator Week is celebrated in June. Remember, it is not just bees - butterflies, certain birds and more comprise the pollinator community.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Notification - HABs season begins in May. Learn how to identify HABs and how they should be avoided by people and pets. DEC provides a page where you report HABs you spot and notify us accordingly.

Tag sales tactics - spring is here and that means tag sales – commonly referred to as “yard sales.” Have items you are looking to get rid of - which still may be useful to others? Then consider having a yard sale. Also, if you have friends and neighbors who are also looking to sell - consider a multi-family or community wide sale as those typically bring in more shoppers. In need of items yourself? Before buying new things, look to see if you can find those items at a yard sale. If you conduct a sale and have items left over - remember to donate them to a local charity or thrift store instead of discarding the items in the trash. Learn how to reuse more and repurpose wherever possible. Another plus - having a yard sale can bring in some money, and shopping at yard sales can result in financial savings. Either way, reusing helps our environment.

Greenup the Cleanup - raking, mowing, tending to trees and bushes are all ways we clean up in the spring from winter's remnants. Remember the statewide burn ban is effect until May 14 - learn about how to keep our air clean. Many local communities offer curbside pick-up where lawn debris is often composted. Speaking of clean-ups on a larger scale, DEC oversees environmental cleanups year-round of contaminated areas throughout our state as part of the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP). Interested in learning more? Check out the BCP program information on the DEC website for local clean-up community updates, fact sheets, and more. Also, keep an eye out for DEC’s Greenup the Cleanup newsletters – interested? Sign-up through DEC Delivers today.

Campfire Moments and Memories - looking to pitch a tent and enjoy camping in the great outdoors this spring/summer? Remember to "Love Our NY Lands" and follow the principles of "Leave No Trace" - and help keep our campgrounds clean. Carry out what you bring and enjoy New York’s outdoor offerings.