Welcome to Composting & Food Waste Reduction

Welcome to Composting & Food Waste Reduction

There are a lot of ways to reduce food waste if we are looking at it as value. We like to eat the perfect looking apple; maybe we rush to the wrinkly bell pepper for a sauté, but more than likely the bruised and blemished which is still good, serves better for soups and sauces. Then there is the food that has passed its prime, but it still has value… as pig or chicken food, or even for the compost. Nature does not create waste.

Nearly 40% of food waste happens in our households, and studies show that about half of the food we throw away could have been edible. There is also the connection between food waste and methane, a potent greenhouse gas that affects climate change. How we manage our food—and our food scraps—matters.

Learn about Backyard Composting

Home composting is one of the most cost-effective ways to handle yard and kitchen waste, and many materials that you might be throwing away can be recycled into healthy soil. Composting is the most efficient way to divert organic waste from our county’s solid waste stream while giving it new life beneath your feet.

• The Science of Soil and Decay – Understand how healthy soil functions as a natural recycling system, supporting plant immunity, water retention, deep roots, reduced erosion, pollutant filtration, and nutrient cycling.
• Composting 101 – Learn the basics of composting, including why it matters, what can be composted, and how to get started at home.
• Composting Methods – Explore different approaches to composting—active, passive, and backyard systems—and find the method that works best for you.
• Vermiculture – Discover how to create and maintain a healthy worm composting system that turns food scraps into nutrient-rich castings.
• Bokashi – Learn the fundamentals of the Bokashi fermentation system and how to transform food waste into a pre-compost material for your garden.
• Join Us at a Workshop – Each class blends presentation, guided instruction, and hands‑on activities to create a rich, experiential learning environment.

Collect the Food Scraps

When you decide to compost, you’ll be looking for every opportunity to collect “greens and browns,” and the easiest place to start is a collection method in the kitchen. There are several options that you might consider, as well as the kitchen compost toolkit provided by Kitsap County Public Works Solid Waste Division; available while supplies last. There is an option to use the “compostable” bags, but make note, that compostable bags will not breakdown in home composting due to a lack of heat and turning. In comparison municipal composting systems are designed to achieve a temperature for a long duration and is able to kill pathogens, weed seeds, and breakdown “compostable” materials.