From reducing your carbon footprint to making your own organic, nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden or landscaping, composting is a great way to put food scraps and yard debris to good use.

What Goes Into the Compost Pile?

To maintain a healthy compost pile, make sure to alternate between adding:

• Dry, carbon-rich “brown” materials like fallen leaves, shredded paper, straw and wood chips.
• Nitrogen-rich “green” materials like coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable scraps, and eggshells.

Avoid adding things like pet feces, dairy items and meat products. In addition to attracting animals, they won’t compost well and can promote harmful bacterial growth.

With the right balance of nutrients, it should take between six months to one year to produce dark, earthy compost to use to boost your lawn, amend your garden or mulch trees and shrubs.