Fall is the perfect time to get a compost bin set up. Kompost Kids is a group of volunteers that connect residents and businesses with composting options. Their master composter provides composting tips to help individuals learn to create their own soil. Every Monday, Kompost Kids flips their large community compost pile behind Sweetwater Organics, in Bay View. That activity provides a great opportunity to learn about the important elements involved in making living soil.

More than one-quarter of the country’s landfills are made up of food waste. Many people are looking for a way to properly dispose of their kitchen scraps, but not everyone has a yard or the time to maintain a compost pile. Milwaukee does not currently offer composting options for residents or businesses, but Kompost Kids is creating a decentralized model that will save organic residuals from the landfill and turn them into quality compost.

The group sets up bins at community gardens, so that gardeners can create their own compost and properly dispose of their kitchen scraps. Kompost Kids’ volunteers now pick up organic residuals from about 20 businesses to create living soil for communities in need and take in about 1,000 pounds per week from schools, restaurants, and coffee shops. They also have compost to donate to projects, gardens or communities in need. Those that know of a project or garden that needs compost can contact the group for an application.

Location of community compost: behind Sweetwater Organics, 2151 S. Robinson St., Bay View 53207. For more information, contact President Melissa Tashjian, at 773-383-9279, [email protected], visit KompostKids.com, or like Kompost Kids on Facebook.