County Programs Backyard Composting Program
COMPOST BINS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK
Email your Name and Contact info to jsimeon@cosbpw.net to get on the Waiting List
Composting your kitchen scraps and yard waste at home can help divert material from your local landfill, and provide a good quality product for use in your yard and garden. Home composting is both fun and easy to do, and does not require large investments of time, money and effort to be successful. The easiest approach to composting is to simply maintain a pile in an out-of-the-way part of your yard. However, many people prefer to enclose the material in a purchased or constructed container. The County of Santa Barbara Public Works Department is offering the Earth Machine composting bin at a great sale price of $40.00 (price includes tax), which is over 50 percent less than the retail price. To learn more, click on this link: composting_bins.html
Other commercial composting bins are generally available at local nurseries, feed stores, garden and home improvement supply stores. Cost varies from $25.00 on up to $300.00 or more, depending upon the model, though most sell in the $50.00 - $125.00 range. It is also possible to construct a compost enclosure from a variety of materials. If you live in an apartment or condominium and would like to compost your kitchen scraps, you might consider vermicomposting. Vermicomposting uses red worms in a small container to convert your fruit and vegetable peelings into a nitrogen rich compost product that is perfect for house plants and planter-boxes. The County of Santa Barbara offers residents written information on how to compost at home through the booklet entitled, The Answer is Backyard Composting and Yard Waste Reduction! To access the different sections of the booklet, please click on any of the links below (please note that we advise that these files not be printed, given the ink requirements of the files. A new printer friendly version of the booklet is being developed.):
Compost Booklet Outside Cover.pdf
Compost Booklet Inside Cover.pdf Table of Contents.pdf
Section 1 Choosing a Composting System.pdf
Section 2 Aerobic Composting.pdf
Section 3 Anaerobic Composting.pdf
Section 4 Vermicomposting.pdf
Section 5 Composting Bin Building Instructions.pdf
Section 6 Using Finished Compost.pdf Section 7 Yard Waste Reduction.pdf
Section 8 Resource List.pdf
The County also periodically conducts workshops on home composting and sponsors parking lot sales of composting bins that are sold to residents at a reduced rate. For more information, please call the County composting specialist at (805) 882-3618 or send an e-mail message to jsimeon@cosbpw.net. For information on our Mulch and Green Waste Program, please click here: mulch&green_waste.html
Residents also have access to mulch produced from the green and wood waste processed by the County. Free mulch is available for pickup at both the South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station and the Santa Ynez Valley Recycling and Transfer Station. If a resident wants mulch to be delivered, there is a charge depending on the volume requested. For more information, please call (805) 681-4981.
Composting workshops are offered throughout the year. Click Here or Call (805) 882-3618 to learn more.
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Last updated: April 30, 2008
