Below is an excerpt from a scheduled program on the ever-popular show on HGTV “Gardening by the Yard.” I thought it was quite fun and well explained. Hope you enjoy it. Paul James explains how to make a compost bin using a regular plastic trash can. Insulating the can isn’t incredibly important, but it sure couldn’t hurt and will speed the process along. The resulting composting material will make your plants SING.

Winter Composting by Paul James (HGTV Host – Gardening by the Yard)
www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_soil_water_mulch/article/0,1785,HGTV_3634_1435196,00.html

Heat, more than any other single factor, is what drives a compost pile and enables it to turn raw materials like leaves and grass clippings into compost. Most of the heat is actually generated within the compost pile by the microorganisms that decompose the material, but the process speeds up during the heat of summer and slows during the winter.
   To compost in the winter, you can build a special insulated compost can. The can should be located in the same general area as a typical compost pile – in full sun, away from trees whose roots can find their way into the nutrient-rich mix, near a source of water and convenient to the kitchen.
   Dig a hole as wide as the bottom of the can and at least six inches deep. Using a utility knife cut out the bottom of the can one inch from the edge so that the can will maintain its shape. Drill several one-inch holes evenly spaced around the top <sides> of the can to provide ventilation.
   Place the can in the hole and pack some dirt around it. Place four bales of hay or straw around the can and stuff leaves into the gaps. Be sure not to block the ventilation holes.
   Add the same mix of green and brown materials that you would add to a traditional compost pile:
     > Green – kitchen scraps, garden refuse, grass clippings
     > Brown – hay, straw, shredded newspaper, leaves

   Start with a six-inch layer of green materials and alternate with a six-inch layer of brown materials until the can is full. Sprinkle each layer with water and a handful of blood meal as you proceed to stimulate decomposition. Also add a little finished compost as a starter material. Shake the can gently to incorporate the starter. Keep the lid on the can to keep heat in and rain out and secure it with a strap to keep out critters such as raccoons and opossums.
   As the materials break down, you can add more, maintaining the 50/50 mix of green and brown. Check the moisture level and add water or brown material as needed.
   While even an insulated can can't compost as quickly in winter as in summer, the temperature in the can should stay above freezing and gradually "cook" the material.
   Composting is a great way to start the New Year. Reduce the waste going to the landfill and give your garden a gift that keeps on growing!

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Daily Reminders Help Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
by Angela Brantley, Solid Waste Manager

Another month gone by, and we’ve finally received summer weather! Hooray! But now it's onto fall.
   At home: The crisp mornings are a reminder to clean closets and to find the sweaters and winter clothes that have been in storage. As you do your closet cleanings, remember to donate as much as you can to local thrift shops or have a whiz-bang garage sale and make some money. Any hazardous waste, such as rechargeable batteries, herbicides, insecticides, oil-based paints or even no longer needed water-based paints can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste drop off site at the landfill in Marina for free. Call 384.5313 for hours of operation and details (www.mrwmd.org).
   At the office: If you are also cleaning files and desk drawers at work, remember to reuse as much of the material as possible such as manila folders, pens and other office equipment. Remind staff to control what is copied or printed. Curb your instinct to make copies of emails and distribute. Instead, forward those messages electronically as much as possible. If you want to grab the attention of your office staff, use different colored fonts.
   Re-evaluate the forms and documents that are generated within your department. If you have that, “it’s always been done that way” mantra, it is probably a good idea to re-assess. Although recycling is important, reducing waste before it is generated is high on the priority list. There is a great deal of energy used to produce items like paper, cans and bottles.
   Recycling reminder: Most communities now offer mixed recycling – collecting paper products, cans and bottles in one container. It is much easier, HOWEVER people are collecting everything in filmy plastic bags and tossing them into the recycling container. This is causing problems at the sorting facilities. Please remember, NO FILMY PLASTIC BAGS in the recycling bins. At some commercial sites, clear large bags are used to accommodate custodial processes, which is OK. The waste driver can view the container and see that there is no trash in the bags. However, because bags are used at all, it takes extra sorting. As there as three times as many residential accounts as commercial accounts, bags CANNOT be used in household recycling bins – the smaller bags wreck the sorting machines.
   At the store: Lastly, remember to use cloth bags at the stores. The stores that give you 5 cents per bag are Albertsons, Nob Hill Foods, Whole Foods and Ralph’s. These stores will also recycle the filmy plastic bags you have (although you are eliminating them by using cloth bags!).

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What I Did on My Summer Vacation
by Angela Brantley, Solid Waste Manager

As I traveled through Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria and sailed to the Island of Elba, I looked at the way all of these countries handled their trash and recycling. Ok, I did have several million cups of espresso and loads of delicious foods, but they were all served on reusable dishes and silverware!
   So, how are these countries handling their waste? In a nutshell, very efficiently. I traveled as far south as Fallonica, Italy (south of Pisa) and as far north as Frankfurt, Germany, and the one glaring difference to many of our tourist-based cities is the smaller amount of litter found on their streets.
   Why is that? My answer, there are few if any fast food joints around. Their lunch times are two or three hours long, and they go home and eat. When they drink coffee away from home, they sit in café’s and drink out of glass cups.
   Does this mean you can’t eat at your favorite take out spot? No. It does mean that it is time to be aware that the material handed out in your take-out bags is creating a litter nightmare on our highways, streets, storm drains and Bay. Your favorite coffee shops are creating an incredible amount of litter. Most streets have coffee cups and lids in the gutter.
   What to do? Take responsibility. Make sure all the material is secured in a trash can. Use reusable cups when you can. It takes a little more effort, but it only takes 21 days to create a habit (good or bad). Remember that you are one of MILLIONS of individuals in America, and you can make a difference by focusing on what you generate and how you dispose of the material.
   More notables: In Switzerland, you bring your own bags for vegetables and other goods, either that or they charge 25 cents (equivalent in Swiss currency) per bag used. The consumers of the four countries I visited have put a great deal of pressure on manufacturers to limit the packaging of all consumer goods. Each section in the residential and commercial areas had group dumpsters, large cardboard dumpsters and mixed plastic, glass and aluminum containers. Some of them even offered food (organics) recycling. They were clean and organized. I saw few plastic bags floating around the gutters. I stayed at two Army bases and they also offered extensive recycling, including food scrap recycling! Again, most of these changes are created by consumer demand.
   In parting, be responsible. Look at the material you are throwing away. How can you reduce the waste generated? How can you reuse the items you have? Are you taking advantage of the recycling offered at work and home? Use reusable cups and bags as often as possible. Remember:  rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle!

I recently attended a conference in Los Angeles at the beautifully preserved Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel. Since 1923, the hotel has remained basically the same. We were there to learn and share info about reducing waste, which includes re-thinking how you buy things. The Biltmore was a shining example of purchasing for sustainability. The interior and exterior has remained untouched and preserved and valued for its worth. What can be learned from this? Buy quality. Can the item you are purchasing be repaired and reused when the time comes for this consideration? Cost drives much of our decision making, but isn't it better to save and buy something that will last than to buy and replace often? The Biltmore was built with quality and style that has sustained its image for 82 years.
   The other thing I learned is that there is a great deal of good happening in the world. There is a group called LA Shares (www.LAShares.com), and they act as a clearing house for any and all supplies. Any nonprofit or school may contact them and request items for their needs (items are free). LA Shares links you with folks trying to donate things. It is incredible what passes through their Internet doors!
   Another group, CalMax (www.ciwmb.ca.gov/CalMAX) is open to everyone and is similar, although the donator and person wanting an item work directly with each other – items might be free or there may be a charge. Many of the de-construction companies work through this system and have been quite successful in making available materials taken from de-constructed buildings.
   Another group, Driftwood Salvage Sales in Palo Alto, facilitates entire house sales (www.driftwoodsalvage.com). The entire building, structure, appliances, etc. are sold at a sort of garage sale set up. The wood and material taken from homes are valued and de-construction has become the better choice when considering remodeling or building choices in most areas. Locally, Last Chance Mercantile (384.5313) will take most of your discarded items for free and will give you a tax deduction receipt.
   Remember, buy with the idea that you would like the item to last and be repaired successfully. When remodeling or building, think in terms of donation and also consider purchasing used items that fit into your plans. Take reducing waste personally. Remember that you are one of millions in the world. 

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