CSUN Workshop Offers Compost Tips

Environmentally conscious residents will be able to purchase compost bins for a fraction of the retail cost at Cal State Northridge on Saturday.

The city Bureau of Sanitation will sell Earth Machine compost bins for $20, a savings of $60 from the retail price, said Cyndi Signett, recycling coordinator at CSUN.

“It’s a phenomenal deal,” Signett said. “The Earth Machine is a really good composter and, because they’re reasonably priced, it’s a great way to get people started on composting at home.”

Connie Kan, assistant sanitary engineer at the bureau, said only Los Angeles city residents are eligible to purchase the bins. Buyers will be required to show proof of residency--either driver’s licenses or bills issued by the Department of Water and Power.

Those attending the sale can also learn about backyard composting at one of two free workshops scheduled at 10 a.m. and noon.

Residents will learn how to turn yard trimmings and kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable waste into a nutrient-rich amendment that improves the condition of the soil, Kan said.

“Specifically, we will be discussing what you can and cannot use for composting,” Kan said. “Yard trimmings and most of the kitchen scrap is OK as long as you don’t include meat and anything that has been cooked in oil.”

Information on grass recycling and worm composting will also be discussed.

Both the bin sale and the workshops will be held at Parking Lot C, on the east side of the CSUN campus on Zelzah Avenue between Plummer and Prairie streets. The bin sale is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call (213) 893-8251.