Composting
Composting reduces greenhouse gases and closes the nitrogen and carbon loops by producing nutrient-rich soil that can be used to grow more food. Composting food and yard waste reduces household waste by up to 30%.
Composting 101 with Mother Compost's Gwenn Nolan
Composting 101 with Mother Compost's Gwenn Nolan
Composting 101 with Mother Compost's Gwenn Nolan
What it is, why it helps and how you can try it at home. Learn about about wasting less, fighting climate change and making free organic fertilizer!
Discount $30 Compost Bins for Township residents attending the compost workshop (one per residence) while supplies last. Questions or can’t make the workshop?
Contact Havcompost@gmail.com.
Curbside Food Waste Composting Services
Composting 101 with Mother Compost's Gwenn Nolan
Composting 101 with Mother Compost's Gwenn Nolan
- 5 gallon Container collection every other week on designated day
- Clean container after each pick-up, including fresh container liner
- Automatic 30 day free trial for all subscribers – if not satisfied after that time cancel at no cost.
- Option to request up to 60 pounds of finished compost for free in spring (March – April). Additional compost available for purchase
- SMS & Email reminders
- $18-26/month or $205-290/year
We provide a 5-gallon bucket with lid to store your food scraps. You may want to line your bucket with a paper bag to maintain cleanliness. If we have room for it, yard waste goes in your own can without a liner, or in a large paper leaf bag. We’ll let you know our yard waste capabilities in your collection reminder email. We pick up your kitchen and yard waste curbside every other week. $18/month
- Biweekly bucket pick up.
- $19.90/month or $229/year
- Commercial options available
- Compost for purchase
Free compost drop-off option
Composting 101 with Mother Compost's Gwenn Nolan
Free compost drop-off option
How: Please bring compost in a reusable bin (to dump loose) or in compostable bags. Plastic bags contaminate the waste stream and are not accepted.
Accepted items: All food waste including eggshells, coffee grinds & plastics that say ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable,’ MOM’s reusable bags, plus any item from Naked Lunch (food containers, cups, and napkins)
Note: For this option to be climate friendly, please combine with other trips to the Bryn Mawr or Philly area Mom's locations
Neighborhood Compost Bins
Other ways to use food waste
Free compost drop-off option
Compost together with neighbors or invite neighbors to contribute to your compost bin.
Interested in hosting a neighborhood bin? Training and guidelines that have worked in Marilyn Park will be shared.
Current neighborhoods participating:
Marilyn Park
Vermicomposting
Other ways to use food waste
Other ways to use food waste
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· Using worms can speed up time to achieve compost for your yard. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-create-and-maintain-indoor-worm-composting-bin
Other ways to use food waste
Other ways to use food waste
Other ways to use food waste
Make Banana Tea for plants- leave banana peel in a cup of water for a few days, water plants with tea and compost used peel.
· Water plants with unsalted pasta water
· Feed plants with used coffee grounds and washed eggshells- place in soil, coffee gives nitrogen and egg shells give calcium to plants.
· Save veggie scraps to make Veggie broth before composting- You can freeze scraps in a container until you have enough to cook
Shred your leaves (and maybe your neighbor's too)
- Create a store of "browns" for your composting year
- Create leaf mulch for your gardens
- Mulch the leaves into your lawn for fertilizer
Leaf mulch, made by creating a layer of about 3" of shredded leaves, acts as a mulch for about a year, then decays to be a great soil amendment (compost). In addition, leaves are free and abundant in the Fall.
Leaves can be shredded by running over them with a mulching mower, using a stand alone leaf shredder, or putting a weed wacker in a can of leaves. Ask your landscaper! They might remove leaves and mulch your gardens for less than it costs to just remove leaves.