How to start composting in your school!

Make a compost patch/pile/bin in your school!

Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

So what are the benefits of Composting?Enriches soil, helping retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests.
Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
Encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.
Reduces methane emissions from landfills and lowers your carbon footprint.
There are many different ways to make a compost pile. Regular mixing or turning of the compost and some water will help maintain the compost.

How to do it?

All composting requires three basic ingredients:

Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs. Provides carbon
Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds. Provides nitrogen.
Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important for compost development. Provides moisture


Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.
Add brown and green materials as they are collected, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded.
Moisten with water (a watering can) materials as they are added to the compost pile.
Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under the compost material. Regular mixing or turning of the compost and some water will help maintain the compost.
Optional: Cover top of compost if possible to keep moist. When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in colour, your compost is ready to use. This usually takes anywhere between two months to two years.