Today, we will take a look at a few helpful compost tips and tricks.
Office composting is trending in 2019, and for good reason. Workplace settings generate large volumes of organic waste, and all too often it is discarded into garbage cans and sent to the landfill. There’s a better way, and the Office Compost Program is here to help. We have, from our inception, been an environmentally responsible Office Care Company.
Read on to discover some helpful office compost tips and tricks, and click here to learn more about the Office Compost Program.
Compost Tips and Tricks
1. Educate your office
In order to get everyone on board with the Office Compost Program, education is key.
Employees need to know a) why it’s important and b) what they need to do.
Begin by having a general information session, and then post information in the kitchen and break rooms explaining what can be composted. These posters should reiterate "why" an office composting program has been implemented. A good place to post is right beside an Office Microwave Policy.
Important compost tip - know what can go in your Green Bin:
All food scraps including bones, peelings, shells, baking and cooking ingredients, spoiled and raw and cooked food (remove all packaging and stickers)
Small amounts of liquids (no more than one cup per green bin)
Some paper products, such as paper plates, paper towels, facial tissue, greasy take-out paper packaging, paper baking cups, shredded paper.
Be sure to read our post on Office Kitchen Compost Bin Etiquette for more information.
Make sure you know what can and can’t go in your Green Bin.
2. Change your bin frequently
In order to avoid bad smells or different messes that can come with overloaded waste bins, it’s important have your Green Bin switched out regularly.
With the Office Compost Program, your Green Bins are picked up weekly or twice a week by one of our Team Members and replaced with a fresh one.
The notion that composting makes your office smell bad is largely a myth, by the way. By taking the necessary precautions organic waste will not make your office smell bad.
3. Shredded paper can be composted
Little known compost tip: shredded paper can be added!
According to Den Garden, “Shredded paper in the form of newsprint and bank/credit card statements provide an excellent source of required carbon. A healthy compost thrives on a ratio of 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. Since paper is almost completely carbon, it can greatly help balance a compost that has been supplied with too much nitrogenous matter.”
Moisture absorption and water retention is increased with the presence of paper. Shredded paper also helps attract worms, who greatly aid in the composting process.
Shredded paper can be added to your Green Bin!
4. Do not try to compost coffee cups
There’s been some confusion over this in recent months, but it’s important to remember that most disposable coffee cups are lined with plastic and will not biodegrade like the rest of your compost.
Some cups and lids are labelled as recyclable and compostable, but it depends on whether your local waste management companies are equipped to deal with them properly.
Consider this note from Tim Hortons:
“Yes, the Tim Hortons cup can be recycled but it is not accepted for recycling everywhere at this time. We currently have programs in a number of our restaurants across Canada where we capture our paper cup (and other packaging) for recycling or composting. The number of locations where we offer in-store recycling continues to grow as we work with local waste management companies to expand our program. Please check your local Tim Hortons for a cup (and other packaging) recycling program. Also check your local residential recycling/composting program to see if paper coffee cups are an acceptable item.”
Dispose of your coffee cups by other means.
5. Keep food scraps as small as possible
The final compost tip is a simple one: The smaller the food scrap, the faster it can biodegrade.
Therefore, try not to include full pieces of fruit or large vegetables, for example.
On top of that, make sure to remove any stickers from fruit and vegetable scraps before tossing them in the green bin.
For more helpful compost tips, watch this video on organic recycling from the Region of Peel.
Get Started With the Office Compost Program Today!
From our inception, we have always been an environmentally responsible company.
We proudly offer our Office Compost Program to businesses across the Waterloo Region, helping you make a positive impact on the environment.
Create a greener workplace with our Office Compost Program - contact us today!
