For many, winter is a very difficult time to compost. Not only is it unpleasant to make your way through the snow to your compost heap, frozen ground tends to make composting nearly impossible.  Even though it may appear difficult, composting is a great way to eliminate waste. 30% of household waste can be composted, but more often than not, isn't, usually due to laziness or ignorance. Once you know what to compost, it is really quite simple.

What Can I Compost?

Anything that was once living can be composted, everything from eggshells to hair can be thrown in.  As a rule of thumb,  avoid  composting any meat/dairy as well as anything toxic or that contains harsh chemicals-for example, you can compost black and white newspaper, but not coloured print. Similarly, you can compost cat hair, but not kitty litter.  For more information on composting, check out Composting 101: Here's the Dirt, as well as these  videos in GreenTV.

Tips to Compost During the Winter:

• To maintain an outdoor compost, heat is crucial. If you aren't able to keep your compost insulated all you will have is a frozen pile of garbage in your yard. If you are able to dig a hole in your yard, dig one under your compost bin and insulate it using cardboard or straw. *For this method it is best to add to your compost one bucket of scraps at time so it will stay active longer.
• Save your scraps til Spring by storing them in a large glass jar with a tight closing lid, mixing it with leaves til it's warm enough outside to empty in your compost area.
• Try indoor composting- there are many different methods to ensure the smell doesn't leave the compost bin.

Image courtesy of Creative Commons.

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