Composting

The home composting allows citizens to use their organic waste in their own backyard or garden. This type of composting promotes the decomposition of organic waste per share of micro organisms, saving environmental costs (pollution) and economic aspects of transportation and disposal of such waste in landfills.

Should do the following steps for home composting:

1. Choosing the location of the composter
The composter should be placed in an easily accessible place during the year, with a mix of sun and shade, preferably on top of the ground, in permeable surface and under a leaf tree, which gives shade in the summer and sun in the winter.

2. Choice of composter
There are several types of composter on sale, as the rodent-proof composters. However, you can make your own composter, from a cardboard box of wood or plastic, with holes underneath, to prevent odours and to facilitate the entry of microorganisms.

3. Composting

Materials needed:
Organic materials
Water
Garden composters
Scissors (to reduce the size of the waste to be composed)
Rake (to rake the material for composting)
Thermometer
Watering can

The composite materials

Greens:
Remains of raw vegetables
Remains of fruit and barks
Coffee grounds, including filters
Rice and cooked pasta
Green leaves
Bags of tea Cereals herbs (without seeds)
Remains of cut grass and flowers
Crushed egg shells

Brown:
Hay
Straw
Wood chips and sawdust
Dried leaves Twigs

Materials not to composite:

Meat, fish, shellfish, dairy products and fats
Excrement of animals
Waste gardens treated with pesticides
Diseased plants or infested with insects
Ash from coal
Herbs with seeds
Textiles, paints, batteries, glass, metal, plastics, medicine, chemicals.

(source: http://www.confagri.pt/Ambiente/AreasTematicas/Solo/Documentos/doc68.htm )