 Photo by Venttu Compy was born in beautiful Vancouver, a city with an expanding composting program. And thankfully, lots of cities are realizing the many benefits of composting by implementing programs of their own, cutting down drastically on landfills and unnecessary waste. But if your city isn't on board yet, you can still take composting into your own green hands! Composting is simple and clean enough to do on your own, indoors or out, especially when you use Compy to cut down on odours,. It's easier, of course, if your city takes your scraps each week, but you'll be surprised by what you can do with them yourself, too. So here are our tips for composting when you have to 'go it alone. Get a Good Bin It's great when your city gives you bins, but buying or making your own is easy, too. Take a trip to your local gardening or hardware store and you should find what you need. Or if you're a little bit handier, there are lots of DIY guides for making composting bins online. If you have a backyard, this can be as simple as making a compost pile. For indoor composting, you just need a bin with a lid, and a little know-how. Here's a guide we found particularly helpful. Be Careful What You Compost City programs can compost a wider variety of scraps than you generally can at home. So if you're doing it yourself, don't try to compost meat, fish, or any dairy products – they can be too smelly or hard to break down, even when you're taking the right precautions. But you can throw in all your fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grinds, tea bags, shredded paper bags .... Once you get started, it's a fun journey figuring out exactly what's compostable. Here's a good list to get you started. And it's always a good practice, but when you're composting yourself, it's helpful to break down your scraps into little pieces. This will speed up the process, giving you fresh soil quicker. Eliminate the 'Ick' Factor  For some people, the mental hurdle of holding on to their trash is harder than composting itself. And it's true - if your city doesn't take your scraps, you'll have to keep them until they turn into soil, which can take weeks. Using Compy is one way to make your indoor composting a lot less gross. Sprinkling a layer into the bottom of your bin will absorb lots of moisture, and regularly adding more layers will greatly reduce any foul smells, including ones that can attract rodents. It will also help reduce flies and insects and help prevent them from laying eggs – helping you sleep better at night! Use Your Soil Composting makes fresh soil, but you might not know what to do with it if you don't have a backyard. But don't worry – you won't be stuck with a pile of dirt. You can use your compost as topsoil for potted plants, donate it to your local urban garden, or give it to friends, neighbours or coworkers who have gardens of their own. Some people even go online to sites like Craigslist to sell their compost or give it away.
Hopefully, you won't let your city's lack of action prevent you from taking your own, given how good composting is for our environment. Stay tuned to the blog for more tips and info, and please let us know in the comments – does your city have a composting program, and if not, how do you manage your own composting?
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