Resources for recycling and composting

We've received dozens of emails from Nightline viewers who are motivated to do more to lessen their garbage footprint. Hooray! We'll do our best to answer all of your questions or at least direct you to some resources that can help. Let's tackle questions about recycling and composting:

What can be recycled?

It would be futile to provide a list of everything that can be recycled, because chances are you can't recycle everything in your area. So, the first step is to find out what can be recycled in your community.

First, if you have curbside recycling check the list of acceptable items. If you have any questions, call or email them for clarity. Will they accept envelopes with plastic window? Post-it notes? Cereal boxes? It's your right as a paying customer to get the facts. You may be able to recycle things you weren't aware of. Or, you might be putting things in your bin that are not acceptable, thus contaminating the recycling process. Don't be afraid to ask for specifics.

Second, find out if there are recycling depots in your area. Before the economy took a dive, recycling was a lucrative business (and it will be again one day). Privately-owned recycling businesses often have public recycling depots where anyone can drop off a load, usually at no cost. Use the power of Google to search for them. Or, check the excellent site Earth911.org, which will give you an instant list of places where you can recycle various items. If you find a resource in your area, please call them first just to verify that they still accept those items. The site is good, but not perfect. For example, Earth911 will list a whole bunch of places to recycle household alkaline batteries, but unfortunately most of those places only accept rechargeables.

What are my options for composting food scraps?

We received lots of questions about composting food scraps. Many of you will probably have to buy a backyard composter online (though I have heard of sightings at Home Depot and Costco over the past year), and the sites Composters and Gardeners have a bunch. (If you have other site recommendations, please post them in the comments.) I would recommend a composter that is fully enclosed so you don't attract rats. My Earth Machine is sold without a bottom -- it's totally open -- but you can purchase a perforated bottom base that easily attaches, which is what I did. No rats allowed. The perforated bottom allows all of those essential worms, microbes and bugs to get in to facilitate the composting process.

Also, check out our post on making a worm bin and indoor Bokashi composting, both of which are good options for condo dwellers or people with small yards. Don't forget our composting video, which shows Renee's method of burying food scraps in the ground. Lots of people do open-air composting -- they basically just toss their food scraps in a pile with yard debris. If this solution works for you -- great! But you will attract rodents, and it will be a little stinky.

We received a more challenging question about composting in rural areas with bear populations. This one is a bit out of our realm. It would be great to hear from people who are composting in these areas. What is your system, and does it attract bears? While a lot of composters have locking lids, I don't know that they would stand up to abuse from a bear. Plus, food scraps mixed with brown yard matter do start decomposing quickly (though less so in winter) so maybe bears aren't interested in less-than-fresh food? Any insight?

I also want to share (again) my a-ha moment, which helped me overcome my fear of composting. Don't worry about actually making usable compost. Don't let that concern keep you from trying. Your initial goal should be to keep food scraps out of the landfill because they release methane, a gas far more toxic than carbon dioxide, into the air. (Plus you reduce the contents of your garbage.) Once you are comfortable with the act of composting, then work on actually making compost. I've been composting for almost two years. I've never filled up my Earth Machine, and I've never taken anything out. The contents just continue to break down. Seriously. As long as you are mixing equal parts food with brown yard matter (and a little water in the dry months), then you shouldn't have to worry.

Please post questions about recycling and composting in the comments so that we can share the knowledge and hear from folks with other ideas and suggestions.