This week was International Compost Awareness Week — a reminder that some of the most powerful climate action can start with you at home! Composting is a great example of a circular system in which no waste is created. Food grows, you eat it, scraps go back into the earth, and the soil grows more food. Teaching kids to see that loop — and their role in it — is one of the best things we can do for the next generation.
What can go in? Let’s ask the bin!
Compost Man has the breakdown — but always check your own composting system for the specifics, since every setup is a little different.
The easy rule to teach your kids: if it was on your plate or grew in your yard, it belongs in the bin. Just remember to remove any stickers and twist ties first, Compost Man doesn’t like those.
For Boulder’s municipal compost, a few surprising things belong in the trash — compostable packaging, coffee filters, tea bags, rubber bands, twist ties, diapers (like the one Jeff is wearing here), and menstrual products.
Now — where do the scraps actually go?
The worms — the decomposers that do the magic of turning food scraps into compost — are here to explain that there’s an option for every living situation. Backyard pile, vermicompost bin, tumbling composter. Honestly? They don’t care which one you choose, as long as you’re giving it to them instead of the landfill.
Sending out an SOS: Save Our Soil
Compost Man’s Guide to Staying Fresh
A funky bin isn’t a failure — it’s a sign your mix is off. Watch Compost Man’s hygiene routine — too many food scraps (greens) without enough dry material (browns) causes odor and can attract pests. For municipal compost, give your bin a good spray and add dry leaves. For backyard compost, layer in cardboard or newspaper to balance it out.
Close the Loop!
To amend your soil, use compost — your own or a bag of A1 Organics, made from Boulder’s municipal compost. Plant something. Let your kids put the seed in the ground. That banana peel from weeks ago? It’s in that soil now. That’s the loop closing right in their hands.
