Its International Compost Awareness Week and a perfect time to ensure there's no food waste waste at home! Composting is an easy and natural way to turn food scraps, biodegradable materials, and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil. The benefit of composting is it keeps methane out of the atmosphere and unnecessary waste out of landfills.

Follow these simple tips and a list of compostable materials to get started:

1. Choose a compost bin or create a pile that suits your preferences and needs.
2. Select a location that is flat, well-drained, and easily accessible, with consideration for your climate.
3. Balance your "browns" (carbon-rich materials) and "greens" (nitrogen-rich materials) for optimum composting conditions.
4. Establish a system for collecting kitchen scraps and find a storage solution for your brown materials.
5. Collect and store brown materials in a dry location.
6. Alternate layers of brown and green materials and aim for a healthy carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.
7. Maintain the compost pile or bin by mixing fresh materials and keeping the consistency damp, but not soggy.
8. Speed up the process with microbial-rich materials like garden soil or compost accelerator.
9. Use finished compost as topsoil, mulch, or compost tea!

Compostable materials include fruits and vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, yard trimmings, and more. But avoid materials like animal feces, dairy, coal ash, and anything treated with chemicals.

Join the cycle of nature and start composting at home today!