Backyard Composting
Green waste or yard waste consists of yard trimmings, leaves, and flowers from landscapes and parks. Mulching or composting green waste is a great way to keep biodegradable waste out of the landfill.
FREE MULCH! FREE MULCH!Beautify your landscape or compost bin with local mulch. It might even help reduce your water bill.
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PHONE BOOK RECYCLING
You can recycle your phone books at any of the following drop off bin locations:
BuRRT >
County Transfer Stations >
City of Santa Fe Environmental Services Division >
You can recycle your phone books at any of the following drop off bin locations:
BuRRT >
County Transfer Stations >
City of Santa Fe Environmental Services Division >
If you generate a lot of yard and food waste, consider composting! Composting is simply organic matter (leftovers and green waste) mixed the right proportion and left to decompose. The end product is a healthy fertilizer and soil amendment for you to use in your own garden or share with your neighbors!
Composting not only prevents biodegradable waste from going to the landfill, but it also reduces the amount of synthetic fertilizers and water needed when used as a soil amendment. Whether you choose to make a pile or an aerobic bin, composting is easy and fun to watch nature take her course.Visit Composting Instructions for easy information on how to compost in your backyard. Or use the New Mexico Environment Department – Backyard Composting Made Easy Brochure in English / Spanish
Backyard Compost No-No’s:
Large branches 
Branches should be mulched before composted for easier decomposition.
Meats, dairy, grease, oil, bones
They can attract rodents and pests and have a difficult time breaking down in a backyard bin.
Pallets
Pallet wood usually has nails and is treated which is not desired for landscape applications.
Palm Fronds
The fibers in a palm frond are too difficult to mulch or compost.
What is vermicompost?
Vermicompost, or worm composting, is the process of composting using various species of worms (usually red wigglers, white worms, and/or earthworms) to decompose food waste and some plant material. Worm castings, or “black gold”, are the end-product of vermicomposting and it can be used as a soil amendment that helps improve the physical structure of the soil, enhances germination, increases plant growth and crop yield, and reduces waste to the landfill.Small-scale vermicomposting is ideal to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil amendments without the additional physical effort (turning the bin) that bin composting requires.
What can I feed the worms?
- All fruits and vegetables (including citrus and other “high acid” foods)
- Vegetable and fruit peels and ends
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Tea bags (even those with high tannin levels)
- Grains such as bread, cracker and cereal (including moldy and stale)
- Eggshells (rinsed off)
- Leaves and grass clippings
How can I start vermicomposting?
You can call Payne’s Organic Soil Yard to purchase a bin and worms to start vermicomposting in your own backyard, today!Payne’s Organic Soil Yard
6037 Agua Fria, Santa Fe
505-424-0336
