Composting Programs

Backyard composters are a favourite for many gardeners for disposing of kitchen scraps and yard waste, while significantly reducing household waste. And better yet, the results are great for your lawn and garden. To help get you started, the TNRD offers handy backyard composters at a discounted rate. View all locations to purchase composters further below on this webpage.

Tip: Use fallen leaves to cover food scraps to prevent odors and pests.

The Green Cone takes all kinds of off waste – meat, bones, dairy, cooked or raw foods, oils –anything from the kitchen table and even pet feces (but no cat litter). Avoid putting yard waste in a green cone such as leaves and grass trimmings, as these materials could clog the composter.

How it works:

• The basket is buried below the ground, that’s where the waste remains (it will never come above the lip of the basket).
• The double-walled green cone acts as incubator
• The natural process combines heat and air movement to create an accelerated aerobic environment that enables and aggressive mould colony, which breaks the food down into liquid that is absorbed into the earth.

The green cone produces no product (no compost), but the soil around the cone is enriched with the same nutrients that a “compost tea” would contain. After installing, all you need to do is dump your kitchen waste in – no turning, stirring or emptying.

Tip: Every 2-3 years, there may be sludge buildup that will need to be removed by undoing the screws that hold the cone to the basket and scooping it out.

Worm Composting is an easy way to turn your kitchen scraps into rich compost for your garden. Perfect for indoor or outdoor use, for apartment dwellers, or for those with limited mobility, worm composting is clean, compact and easy to handle.

How it works:

• Worm composting uses a special type of worm called a redwiggler. These hungry little worms can eat their own body weight in one day, and are well suited to the slightly moist decomposing materials found in a worm bin.
• As these worms eat through the food waste, they produce nutrient-rich castings that can be used in the garden. Once they have eaten through the bedding material, simply follow the steps to “harvest” the castings and start over again.

Tip: Worms like the worm composter best at temperatures between 13° and 25° Celsius, so it’s important they are kept in the shade in summer and inside during the winter months.