Composting 101
For residential organics collection service information, see the following page: Residential Organics (Green Cart) Collection program.
Why Should I Compost?
Yard trimmings and food scraps can easily be broken down and converted into a valuable soil amendment for your garden. This natural process is called “composting.”
Composting occurs in nature as vegetation falls to the ground and slowly decays. This process provides minerals and nutrients needed by plants. Setting up a composting system in your backyard speeds up this natural process. Organic materials like fruits, vegetables, and yard debris are collected and then decomposed with the help of oxygen, water, and microorganisms.
The resulting material is called “finished compost” or “humus,” an important component of healthy soil. Humus that results from composting adds nutrients to the soil that can increase the health of your plants and help save money ordinarily spent on fertilizers.
Vermicomposting is simply using worms to compost food scraps. The best kind of worms to use is Eisenia Fetida (aka “Red Wigglers”). These worms are incredible eaters of food scraps! They eat half their own weight every day, so even a small bin of red worms will produce several pounds of all-natural, chemical-free fertilizer to mix into potting soil or garden mulch.
To learn more information about composting, attend a free compost workshop hosted by the City of Long Beach. Classes are available in English and Spanish, and discounted composting bins are available for purchase.
Download our guides to vermicomposting and backyard composting at home:
Backyard Composting
VermicompostingWhat can I add to my backyard compost bin?
Stirring and lightly watering the contents of your compost bin speeds up the compost process.
DO Backyard Compost:
- Grass and plant trimmings
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Eggshells
- Wood chips
- Straw and hay
- Shredded paper
DO NOT Backyard Compost:
- Meat scraps and bones
- Dairy products
- Oily products
- Plastics or synthetic fibers
- Diseased vegetation
- Plants that have been treated with herbicides
- Palm fronds
- Charcoal or ashes from treated wood
- Manure from carnivores (meat-eating animals)
What can I add to my vermicompost (worm) bin?
Keep your vermicompost bin indoors or in a shady spot in your yard. If outdoors, keep it close to a back door to make access more convenient. Check your worms to make sure their home is not too wet or dry. You can add shredded newspaper to help soak up excess moisture. Worms will eventually eat the newspaper.
DO Vermicompost:
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Paper tea bags (remove staples)
DO NOT Vermicompost:
- Onions, garlic, or acidic fruits
- Dairy products
- Oily products
- Meat or poultry
- Nutshells
- Grass and plant trimmings
Composting | Myth vs. Fact
| Myth: | Compost creates odors and attracts pests. |
| Fact: | Properly building and maintaining compost using organic waste rarely attracts pests and smells like a humus-rich forest. |
| Myth: | Compost is unsightly. |
| Fact: | Attractive, low-cost compost enclosures can be built or purchased. |
| Myth: | Composting requires a lot of work. |
| Fact: | Compost is a natural process. Basically, the elements of nature do the work. You can turn the material once a week or once a month. Compost just happens! |
Find Us Online:
Useful Links
Find Your Collection Day Report a Collection Issue Trash/Recycling Cart Request a Special Collection Report Illegal Dumping Frequently Asked QuestionsContact Us
Submit an online request formNewsletters
Sign up for EcoGuidemonthly e-newsletter EcoGuide October 2025 LB Recycler Fall 2024 View Newsletters Archive
