Composting

Did you know that the Town Hall, elementary schools and Middle School have been composting food scraps since the mid 1990s? The Town of Mansfield advocates composting as an efficient way for residents to reduce their waste. Your options:

1. Residents may bring their food scraps to the transfer station to be composted in the leaf pile. To learn more contact the Mansfield Recycling Coordinator at 860-429-3333 or waltonvd@mansfieldct.org. 

2. Set up a backyard compost pile using a homemade or purchased compost bin. To get started, simply pile grass clippings, food scraps and yard trimmings together. Insects, fungi, bacteria and worms (compost critters) make compost by digesting these organic materials. They are key to the compost process.

How To Compost

There are some simple ways you can help these organisms speed up the process.

• Make a pile at least 3 feet high by 3 feet wide by 3 feet long. You can use a commercial bin, chicken wire, wood pallets, or no enclosure at all.
• Start by making the pieces small. Ice will melt faster if you break it into small pieces; the same is true with decomposing materials.
• Feed your compost critters a "balanced diet" of roughly one part succulent "green" trimmings to three parts woodier "brown" materials in alternating layers.
• Maintain a balance of moisture and air. Compost critters need oxygen and water. Keep your compost moist but not dripping wet. Keep the pile well aerated by thoroughly mixing it, or by occasionally turning it.

Your finished compost will be dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling and resemble rich soil. Use it as a garden mulch, a soil amendment, or with potting mix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt6mIoKK6wE – How to Make Compost When You are New to Composting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zvFresyPmA – Composting 101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSr0EC3AzI4 – A Beginners Guide to Composting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF-jzWKMdwE – Vermicomposting 101

Good Compost Material