Denver has too much trash in the landfills. We can recycle to reduce our carbon footprint and we can also compost.
What is composting, you may ask? Well everything that grows will eventually decompose. Composting is the natural process of recycling organic material.
Some of the things you can compost include yard trimmings, office refuse, used tea bags, fruit and vegetable scraps, hair and fur among other things.
According to NRDC, “composting speeds up the process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria, fungi, and other decomposing organisms (such as worms, sowbugs, and nematodes) to do their work.”
Composting creates what we in Colorado need for our gardens. It’s what farmers have called “black gold”. It resembles a fertile garden soil but is full of nutrients that are much needed in our dry desert soil.
Her is the EPA’s full list of what you can compost:
Fruits and vegetables
Crushed eggshells
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Nutshells
Shredded newspaper
Shredded cardboard
Shredded paper
Yard trimmings
Grass clippings
Houseplants
Hay and straw
Leaves
Sawdust
Wood chips
Hair and fur
Fireplace ashes
For the next month, Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) is offering the public the chance to enroll in classes focused on educating people on how to properly compost, in an effort to help the public reduce their carbon footprint.
Denver Urban Gardens’ upcoming composting classes
Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Sept. 24, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Oct. 1, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Vermicomposting focused class)
Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
If you are wondering what vermicomposting is; it is composting, only specifically through the use of red wiggler worms.
You can register for classes through DUG’s website: https:// dug.org/compost/
Also, starting in January of 2023, Denver is offering residents the chance to sign up for “Denver Composts” for no extra cost. This will be a weekly service that aims to limit the amount of garbage that lands in the city’s landfills by 50%.
I for one am excited at this recycling and composting initiative. I am happy Denver is making strides to help our planet. Finally.
