Creation Care: Three Simple Ways to Compost
A message from our Creation Care Team:
Composting your food scraps is simple and effective. Instead of sending food waste to overflowing landfills, you can turn it into nutrient-rich soil with one of these three straightforward methods.
1. Composting at Church Dinners
The Creation Care Team provides composting boxes at church dinners. The team collects food scraps from church dinners and delivers them to Mecklenburg County recycling centers.
After your meal, please scrape food scraps into the composting box located next to the trash cans. Place only food scraps in the composting box. Plates, cups, utensils, napkins, plastic bags, and other non-food items are not accepted.
2. Composting at Designated Mecklenburg County Recycling Centers
Mecklenburg County residents can drop off food scraps free of charge at four designated recycling centers:
- Compost Central Recycling Center, 140 Valleydale Rd.
- Hickory Grove Recycling Center, 8007 Pence Rd.
- Foxhole Recycling Center, 17131 Lancaster Hwy.
- William R. Davie Staffed Recycling Center, 4635 Pineville-Matthews Rd.
Place food scraps in bins marked “Place Food Scraps Here.” As with church composting, the County will not accept plates, cups, utensils, napkins, plastic bags, or other non-food items. The County’s motto is: “If it’s edible, it’s acceptable!”
Mecklenburg County provides free composting containers for residents. For more information, visit their website.
3. Composting at Home
Composting at home is straightforward. The primary steps for processing your food scraps are the following:
- Begin by placing four to six inches of twigs and wood chips at the bottom of a barrel or box. This layer absorbs excess liquid, elevates the pile, and allows air to circulate.
- Add one part “browns,” such as leaves, for every two parts “greens,” such as food scraps. Cover the food scraps with four to eight inches of dry leaves.
- Occasionally mix the compost materials to support decomposition.
For detailed instructions, refer to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website.