You Can (and Should) Compost Even If You Don’t Garden
Composting is a great option for minimizing waste and using it efficiently, turning food scraps and other organic matter into free fertilizer for your garden. (Nearly half of all curbside trash is compostable.)
The process doesn’t have to be complicated either: there are several ways to build a compost pile, depending on how much space you have and how much effort you want to put into it.
And you don’t actually have to have an entire garden for composting to make sense. Whether you live somewhere that doesn’t allow you to maintain a garden, or you just don’t want to grow anything, you can still easily find several ways to use homemade compost.
Add it to your potted plants
Compost can improve the quality of your potted plants, including indoor plants. Mix ready-made compost with store-bought soil when replanting, make your own potting mix , or brew compost tea to water your plants. Compost helps retain water, so be sure to combine it with well-aerated soil rather than using it alone.
Mix it up with your landscaping
Compost can be beneficial in your yard even if you don’t grow vegetables. You can spray it on trees and shrubs once or twice a year to improve water retention and soil nutrition, mix it into the soil in sparse areas in preparation for planting, or use it as an erosion barrier —or alone (like mulch). or packed in mesh tube.
Donate it to a community or school garden.
If you produce a lot of compost that can’t be used, consider donating it to a local community garden or urban farm . You can also donate raw materials to be added to community compost piles at gardens or farmers’ markets (although some organizations have restrictions on where they supply both scraps and finished compost). Or call to find schools that have gardening or food systems curriculums. Participants in the National Wildlife Foundation’s EcoSchools program may be a good place to start.
Sell to other gardeners (or give away)
You’ll also likely find other gardeners in your area who are willing to take fresh, finished compost off your hands rather than buying it from a garden center, whether you decide to sell it or give it away. Try posting it on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or a local gardening group, or give it as a gift to friends and neighbors who garden.
Sign up for a curbside compost service.
If you don’t want to compost at all, but also don’t want to throw your food scraps in the trash, find a curbside pickup location in your area. Many municipalities offer this along with trash and recycling collection; all you have to do is put the waste in the designated bin. Alternatively, you can register with private composting companies. Just make sure you follow the service’s recommendations, including what foods you should and shouldn’t add to your compost pile.