Having Problems?
Despite your best intentions, do you have an ailing compost bin? See if you can solve your problem by consulting the troubleshooting guide below. Or, call the Compost Hotline at 604.736.2250. Experts are available to help you with your concerns!
Problem |
Solution |
| Compost smells | Turn the pile using a compost turner like our Wingdigger tool ($7.50 at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot) and add coarse dry material (pile is too wet and there is not enough air circulation). |
Compost is too dry throughout |
Turn and moisten material; add fresh green waste. If you pick up a handful of compost, it should be as moist as a well wrung out sponge (i.e., no water dripping out, but moist).. |
| Compost is damp and warm only in middle | Collect more materials and mix in using a compost turner like the Wingdigger ($7.50 at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot). This condition usually indicates that there is not enough material in the pile to facilitate the composting process. |
| Material not heating up (not composting fast enough) | Mix in some green nitrogen-rich material (fresh grass clippings or fresh manure) using your compost turning tool (see above). |
| Pests | Keep out meat, cooked food, fats/oils, grains, bones, and animal wastes. Use ¼ inch wire mesh on the bottom of the bin (between the bin and the ground) to prevent rodent entry. Cover food waste with 2" to 3" of carbon-rich brown material (leaves, shredded paper, etc.). If necessary, stop composting kitchen scraps until pests are no longer a nuisance. |