Composting is a natural form of recycling fruit and vegetable scraps and green/yard waste into a rich soil amendment. Use the free County of Kaua'i compost bin or purchase composting bins locally at Home Depot, Ace Hardware or Costco.
County of Kaua'i Earth Machine backyard home composting bin.
What to Compost:
Fruits and Vegetables scraps, Eggshells, Coffee grounds and filters, Tea bags, Nut shells, Shredded newspaper, and Cardboard (toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, paper egg cartons), Yard Waste, Houseplants, Hay and Straw, Leaves, Sawdust, Wood chips, Cotton, Linen, Wool Rags, Dryer and Vacuum Cleaner Lint, Hair and fur, Fireplace ashes, Manure from Chickens, Goats, Cattle.
What Not to Compost and Why:
· Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
- Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
· Coal or charcoal ash
- Might contain substances harmful to plants
· Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt)
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
· Diseased or insect-ridden plants
- Diseases or insects might survive composting and maybe transferred back to other plants
· Fats, oils and grease (FOG).(Used cooking oil can be recycled at Lihue and Hanapepe transfer stations
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
· Meat, Fish, Bones, Whole Eggs, Shrimp and Clam shells
- Creates odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
· Pet wastes (dog or cat feces, used Kitty litter)
- Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans
· Cut Grass/Lawn Clippings. Try Grass Cycling instead - mow without a bag and leave clippings on lawn.
- Grass will take up a lot of space in your compost bin
Download the Earth Machine manual.
It's easy to compost in your own backyard using do-it-yourself techniques like constructing hoop wire bins or pallet bins, using a burial method or composting in heaps. Heap method - build a “heap” (pile) of green waste, water the heap (pile), and cover with a tarp. The "heap" will then decompose (compost). To generate heat the "heap" needs to be a minimum of 3' tall x 3' deep x 3' wide or 6 'tall x 6' deep x 6' wide.