MILWAUKEE — The City of Milwaukee is offering residents a way to turn food scraps and yard waste into soil in their own backyard.
The Department of Public Works has partnered with Wisconsin-based nonprofit Recycling Connections to sell The Home Composter — a compost bin made from 100% recycled plastic that isn’t available in stores.
Resource Recovery Program Manager for the City of Milwaukee Laura Stevens told WTMJ The Home Composter has special features, including a sliding door at the bottom to easily access finished compost and a tightly sealed lid to keep away pests.
“It’s easy to use, easy to assemble, easy to get home and it lasts long,” said Stevens.
The compost bin has a 128 gallon capacity and can last up to 15 years. Spring is an ideal time to get started with composing, because like Wisconsin’s limited growing season, composting also slows down during the winter months.
Stevens said another feature of The Home Composter is how the bin accelerates the process, even if you don’t turn the contents frequently: “The black bin itself helps absorb the heat, which helps heat up all the compost and start the breakdown of everything. It kind of helps expedite it.”
The compost bin should be filled with a mixture of brown waste — leaves, twigs and other plant matter — and green waste from the kitchen — vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells.
“Things to stay away from are cooked foods, especially when it comes to meat and dairy,” said Stevens. “Those are really hard to break down in a backyard system.”
The Home Composter sells for $68 and comes with a resource guide. A countertop kitchen pail for collecting food scraps is also available for $25.
The DPW is taking orders online through May 19. Pickup will take place June 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at DPW Sanitation at 4031 S. 6th Street. Pickup day will also include a compost workshop and plant sale at the Garden District Community Garden Gazebo.
