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City of Vancouver, Washington

Recycling Refresher

Compost Happens!

If you do absolutely nothing but dump your yard debris in a big pile, it will eventually turn to compost just as it does in nature. However, if you want compost sooner rather than later, follow these five simple rules:

1. Uniform Particle Size: Chop all your yard debris down to 1 inch pieces or smaller. Use clippers, chipper/shredder or mower.

2. Mix: Mix equal volumes of browns (dried leaves, etc.) and greens (fresh grass, weeds, etc.).

3. Pile Size: Add enough material to create a 1 cubic yard pile.

4. Moisture: Add water to pile if necessary so it feels damp, like a wrung out sponge.

5. Aeration: Turn/stir your pile once a week for several months.

If you do your best to follow these five rules, the microbes that turn your yard debris into compost will be happy and active and your compost pile will begin to heat up in as little as three days. The heat indicates microbial activity and means that compost is happening very fast.

If you don’t follow these five rules to the letter, just relax...compost happens!

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