What To Do With Those Leaves? Compost Them!

To make it easier to compost kitchen scraps and yard waste, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) makes home composting bins available cities and towns each year through its recycling equipment grant program.

The bins, which retail for between $60 and $100, are available to the residents of communities that receive grants – including Belmont – for about $20.

Two styles of compost bins are available through MassDEP's grant program: Earth Machine and New Age Composter (known formerly as Brave New Composter). Both types are easy to assemble, rodent-resistant, and allow for efficient, aerobic composting. They are made from a minimum of 50 percent post-consumed recycled plastic collected or processed in Massachusetts. An average household can compost between 500 and 1,000 pounds of organic material each year in the bins, producing a rich soil supplement out of material that would otherwise be disposed. 

To obtain a compost bin, go to the Homer Municipal Building, DPW Office, 19 Moore St.  For more information call 617-993-2690.