Composting is easy to do at your home or school if you have a corner of the garden to devote to the pile or bin. The L.A. Resource Program conducts free classes and offers plastic bins at reduced prices. Call (800) 773-CITY for information. You can also make your own bin out of wooden pallets or chicken wire and wood stakes.

Place lawn and yard trimmings, food waste (no meat or grease), and soil into the compost pile or bin. A good size for a bin is about 3ft. x 3ft. square, and 3-4ft. high. Air and water must have access to he green waste, so do not seal off the sides. The "hot" method of composting involves more turning and wetting the material. This method produces usable compost in 4-6 weeks. The "cold" method involves little work and produces compost in about 6-12 months.

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