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 There are a number of ways to reduce your impact on the environment! Composting and recycling bio-degradable materials is great for the environment, your family and the community.
What is Composting?
Composting is the recycling of household indoor and outdoor organic materials such as vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and leaves. All organic material naturally turns back into a nutrient rich soil when composted properly and can be used in your yard to improve the texture and fertility of the soil. This is an extremely beneficial process as it reduces the amount of waste that enters landfills. Organics that are sent to the landfills do not break down in a natural fashion, but instead compound and generate poisonous greenhouse gasses like methane into the air.
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Kitchen bucket for organic waste. Simply collect daily kitchen scraps under the sink in a sealed container. When the container is full, take it outside and empty it into a backyard compost bin. Easy!
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What to Compost
- Fruit and vegetable scraps, over-ripe fruits and vegetables
- Rice, pasta, stale bread
- Coffee grounds and filters, tea bags
- Paper napkins and towels
- Dryer lint, hair
- Yard organics such as plant trimmings, grass clippings, leaves
What Not to Compost
- Meat, fish or bones
- Dairy products
- Oils, fats or grease
- Sauces
- Ashes
- Plastic or other non-biodegradable products
- Pet waste
- Wood (unless its untreated and shredded)
 
A typical composting unit.
Where Can I Get A Composter or How Can I Make One?
The City of Lethbridge sells composters year round for $48.00. They are available by calling Mary at (403) 315-1497. The composter can be delivered for free to your home. Please have your utility account number handy with the name appearing on the account. Let Mary know the address that you would like the composter delivered to as well as the location at the address that you would like the composter placed. Prepayment for the composter can be made at City Hall on the 4th floor. Arrangements can also be made for pick-up of the composter.
You can also build your own with a few simple materials:
Wooden Pallets
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Nail together four wooden pallets in a square. Use one pallet on the bottom to give your compost pile proper air circulation.
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Snow Fence
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Use about 2-3 meters of snow fence connected to make a circular bin that can be opened to collect the finished compost.
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Simple Pile
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If you have the right location, just compost in the traditional pile style.
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The Composting Process
Composting is the natural process of micro-organisms feeding on the moist materials in the compost heap. This feeding frenzy heats up the heap and encourages bacteria, fungi and insects to feed on the organics. All of this feeding causes the materials to decompose. It is important to stir or turn the pile occasionally to add oxygen and to discourage harmful bacteria and foul smells. When all the material has been decomposed, the temperature of the pile will drop and the worms will move in - signaling to you that your compost is ready to use.
A compost pile will work best if you layer brown and green organics. Browns are usually dry, and include: coffee filters, paper napkins and towels, dry leaves and grass. Greens are fresh and moist, they include: vegetable peelings, fresh grass clippings and coffee grounds. It is also important to keep the pile slightly damp or moist.
Composting Links:
Environment Canada
The Composting Council of Canada
Backyard Magic, The Composting Handbook
Vermicomposting
If you live in an apartment or do not have an appropriate location for an outdoor composter consider a smaller indoor vermicomposter. Vermicomposting is the recycling of organic waste by worms into an extremely rich soil conditioner. It can be done indoors year round (outdoors in proper climate), it takes up little space, it reduces environmental pollution and it provides an amazing conditioner for plants!
 
Worms?
Yes, vermicomposting uses small worms such as Eisenia foetida (red wrigglers, brandling or manure worms) or Lumbricus rubellus to break down kitchen scraps. The worms are placed in a ventilated, dark container with bedding such as shredded newspaper. Organic material is added by digging a small hole in the bedding, adding the scraps and then covering them up with bedding or soil. The best things to compost are raw fruit and vegetables, finely ground egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds. Avoiding meat, dairy and greasy foods will keep any foul smells or bugs away. The worms do the rest of the work! For more information:
Vermicomposting Links:
Green Venture
Worm Woman.com
Vermicomposting Materials (bins, books, worms):
Salt Spring Global Worming
GreenCone
How can I compost meat, bones, table scraps and so many other organic wastes? With a GreenCone! A GreenCone is type of outdoor composter that can breakdown many additional bio-degradable materials that a regular composting system can not. The Green Cone is partially buried in the ground so that odors from composting items such as meat or dairy are filtered out by the soil. The cone which is above ground level is made of two plastic layers which serve as a heat house thus accelerating the breakdown of the material added. The Green Cone is available in Calgary. For more information visit the Things Recycled website.
 Diagram of GreenCone System
Recycling
For recycling depot locations and other information, see the Recycling main page or call the Recycle Line at 329-7367.
Grasscycling
Grasscycling is the simple practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn when mowing. For more information, see the Grasscycling webpage.
A Reel Mower - Zero pollution, great exercise and very affordable! Using a manual mower will prevent 48 kilograms of GHGs from entering the atmosphere. Grasscycling or composting will provide even greater benefits.
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