Residents who lived between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers nearly 4,500 years ago enjoyed their rich, agricultural area. This is where composting was first documented.
Today, the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Environmental Programs Division is urging residents to learn the practice of composting and recycle some of their household waste—like egg shells, coffee grounds, fruit peels, paper towels, garden clippings and stale bread—back into home gardens.
“Help divert these materials from our landfills,” Gerry Villalobos from the LA Sanitation Department said during a recent city-sponsored workshop.
“The City of LA produces one-third of the state’s waste, about 24 million tons,” he added. “That’s enough to fill 75 Rose Bowls.”
Free home composting and urban gardening workshops will be held on various Saturdays at three different locations in the county. Composting bins will be available for purchase by check at the workshops while supplies last. City residents receive a discounted rate of $20 with proof of residence.
There is quite a science to composting, Villalobos explained.
“You don’t just drop and go,” he said. “It all requires attention.”
Compost bins have to be managed regularly, as it may take a few months before the compost is mature enough to use in the garden as a soil conditioner.
If the compost is too wet, more dry material must be added. If it is too dry, Villalobos recommends “spritzing.”
“It should have an earthy smell, it shouldn’t stink,” he said.
The South L.A. Wetlands, 5413 S. Avalon Blvd., will hold 9 a.m. workshops on the third Saturdays of the months of October, November and December; the Griffith Park Composting Facility at 5400 Griffith Park Dr. will hold workshops on the second Saturdays each of those months; and the Lopez Canyon Environmental Education Center, at 11950 Lopez Canyon Rd. will have workshops on the fourth Saturdays.
For additional information, visit lacitysan.org/compostworkshops, or call L.A. Sanitation and Environment at (800) 733-2489.
