Composting

Practical Solution

The “How To”

Standard Home Compost

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has a comprehesive guide to composting at home here. The Missouri Coalition for the environment has a local guide for composting here. Before composting at home, be sure to check your local city or county ordinances for requirements or restrictions. For a quick glance of composting rules in the St. Louis area, check out this table for a list that includes many cities in the area.

St. Peters Earth Centre/Recycle City serves St. Peters residents and businesses for trash, recycling, and yard waste. Residents can drop off their cardboard, newspaper, and other products. For yard waste, they have the option of putting it in their brown curbside bin or dropping it off at the Earth Centre (learn more here). This facility processes organic material into mulch and compost. The Earth Centre is open to the public and free for St. Peters residents with a Resident Privilege Card.

Vermicompost

Another home waste recycling technique is Vermicompost. Vermicompost uses red wiggler worms to break down decaying plants, fruits, and vegetable waste. Like composting, vermicomposting can be maintained in the backyard. Necessary items to make your own vermicompost pile include worms, organic waste, and a box. Start a vermicompost bin in an area where the interior temperature of the bin will remain between 59 and 77 degrees F, such as a garage, porch or deck, kitchen, basement, bathroom, closet, or apartment balcony. After a few months the matter will be fully turned and ready for your lawn and garden. 

Composting at Schools

W. W. Keysor Elementary in Kirkwood, MO, reduced waste from their cafeteria by 85% in 2012 by introducing compostable trays and separating out materials for recycling and compost. Many other schools in the St. Louis region divert waste by composting, including Nerinx Hall, Crossroads College Prep, McKelvey Elementary, Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School, Christ Prince of Peace, St. Teresa’s Academy, various schools in the Parkway School District, Pershing Elementary, Holy Redeemer, Pattonville High School, Tillman Elementary, Sunrise R-9 School, Brentwood Middle School, and Rockwood South Middle School.

Content updates to this page made possible by funding provided by the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.