Oneida and Herkimer County residents have worked hard to make recycling a reality. The Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority urges everyone to compost. Composting organic materials is just as important as glass, plastic, metal and paper recycling. All of these efforts help reduce our reliance on landfills. Approximately 20,000 tons per year of leaves, grass clippings and brush is processed each year to produce a beneficial organic soil amendment that is sold in bulk and in bags to area residents.

Composting can be done easily at home - many residents already have backyard compost piles or units where they compost yard waste and some household waste. The Authority also operates a green waste composting facility that produces finished compost on a very large scale.

A basic understanding of the composting process can produce a high-quality, usable product; all it takes are a few simple materials and a little time. To learn more about how to compost or purchasing compost, please see the sections labeled as such under Composting.

Compost Uses

• Compost can be used as a soil additive to improve moisture retention and add some nutrients. Compost alone is not a fertilizer. Compost worked into clay and sandy soils improves texture.
• For garden beds, compost can be added to the entire bed or just to seed furrows or transplant holes.
• When using around trees or shrubs, grass should be removed from around the base. Compost should be worked into the top few inches of soil.
• In potted plants, compost can be 1/4 to 1/3 of the container volume.
• For lawns, compost should be ground up and finely screened over the grass.
• Make sure the composting process is finished before using. Unfinished compost may be harmful to young plants.