Composting

There are many benefits to composting, and many TOT residents do it!

Composting reduces waste. Organic wastes, such as food waste and yard waste, make up 25 to 50% of what people throw away. While you may not be able to compost all of your organic waste, composting can significantly cut down on your trash. When we throw away yard and food waste, it decomposes in a landfill and releases methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas. While most landfills have technology to capture much of this methane, eliminating the gas at its source is even better.

Compost makes for happy plants, planet, and people. It conserves water, and energy (from not transporting waste), and can save you money by not having to buy it. It’s satifying to know you’re helping to complete the recycling loop!

With such close proximity to neighbors, it’s especially important to avoid rodent infestation. Use contained bin composters like this one (on Amazon). Be sure to regularly check the bin for holes… rats and mice have been known to chew into them!

The LA County Department of Public Works provides resources and free webinars on:

  • Intro to Composting: Learn about backyard and worm composting to create a rich soil amendment to nourish your garden.
  • Water-wise Gardening: Create a beautiful drought-tolerant landscape and learn about grasscycling to fortify your lawn.
  • Organic Gardening: Build healthy soil, grow herbs and vegetables, and address plant pests and diseases using organic methods.
  • Small-space Gardening: Learn to grow plants in containers and set up a small-space worm composting system.

For more resources, see:

(Source: Santa Barbara County Resource & Waste Management)

Quality living for all neighbors