Lewis County Master Recycler Composter Volunteers

09/14/2026

Here's a catchy and fun song about compost that kids might like:

09/11/2026

Here are some steps to follow if you want to start a compost bin or pile this fall. 🍁🍁🍁

🍂 YES, YOU CAN START COMPOSTING IN FALL!

If you’ve been thinking about starting a compost pile, fall may be one of the easiest times to begin. Why? Because one of the most useful compost ingredients is suddenly everywhere—fallen leaves!

Dry leaves are considered a “brown,” or carbon-rich material. Save them and combine them with “greens,” or nitrogen-rich materials, such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, fresh grass clippings and healthy green garden trimmings.

A simple starting point is roughly 2–3 parts browns to 1 part greens by volume. You don’t have to measure everything perfectly. The goal is to keep plenty of dry carbon-rich material available to balance wetter kitchen and garden scraps.

Build your pile by combining or alternating browns and greens. Keep it moist, but not soaking wet. Think of the moisture level of a wrung-out sponge.

Turning the pile occasionally introduces oxygen and can speed decomposition, but don’t worry if your compost slows down as winter arrives.

Cold temperatures naturally reduce microbial activity. In colder climates, the pile may appear to nearly stop during winter and then become active again as temperatures rise.

And don’t expect every compost pile started this fall to be completely finished by spring. How quickly compost develops depends on temperature, pile size, moisture, materials and how actively you manage it.

Avoid adding meat, fish, bones, dairy products, oils, pet waste and problematic diseased plant material to a typical backyard compost pile. Be cautious with weeds that have already produced seeds, too.

🍁 One extra tip: save a bag or pile of dry leaves. You can use them throughout the year whenever your compost needs more browns.

Instead of hauling away all those fall leaves, turn some of them into something your garden can use.

08/06/2026

An easy way to start your own worm composting project...

07/21/2026

A great repurposing idea with books! We will have books, tools, and other treasures available this Friday and Saturday at the MRC Tool Bucket Library's Tools & Treasures Sale at the Floral Park Sustainability Project, 104 E. Floral St., Centralia. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Proceeds will support the operation of the MRC Tool Bucket Library.

I stacked old hardcover books between two wooden rounds to make a unique side table that's both sturdy and a great conversation starter. 📚🪵

07/06/2026

Here's a fun, easy reuse idea for feeding the birds!

Turned a glass jar and scrap wood into a simple bird feeder that keeps backyard visitors happy. 🐦🌿✨
See how to decorate here: https://mideas.co/JxlLC

07/02/2026

You can find a variety of sugar bowls and cream pitchers at local second-hand stores. Here are some great ideas for repurposing them!