Press Release
Sanders County Solid Waste District will be accepting expired, old or unwanted license plates. These plates will then be given to the "Montana Hope Project". Which is organized by the Officers of the Montana Highway Patrol.
Montana Hope Project exists to give critically-ill children the opportunity to have a special dream come true. . .dreams that include camping trips, computers, satellite TV systems, stereos, and yes even trips to Disney
World.
Your donations will be accepted at any of the Solid Waste roll off sites or at the Solid Waste office at the Courthouse. Lets all remember to Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse. Also remember by doing this your helping to raise funds to continue to serve Montana Children with life threatening illnesses.

WORM COMPOSTING
o Reduces waste disposal costs
Raises worms for fishing
Has no foul smell or pests
Provides a convenient method for converting
Kitchen vegetable wastes into rich organic
Fertilizer for house and garden plants.

A worm composting system can be easily started by following these five steps:
1. MAKE OR GET A WORM BIN
Wooden, plastic or metal boxes or tubes may be used. The container should be 8"-12" deep and of a size to accommodate the amount of garbage you produce. Approximately one square foot of surface area is needed for each pound of kitchen vegetable wastes per week. For example, a 1'X2'X3' box will serve a family of 4-6. Detailed Instructions for constructing your own bin are included.

2. ADD BEDDING
Bedding holds moisture and provides a medium in which the worms can work and the garbage can be buried. It must be light and fluffy enough to allow air exchange.
Worms actually consume bedding as well as the kitchen vegetable wastes.
Bedding can be made of shredded newspaper, shredded corrugated cardboard, peat moss, or leaf mold.
Bedding must be well soaked in water and wrung out before adding to the bin. You may add a handful of dirt every time the bedding is changed although it is not necessary.

3. ADD WORMS
Red worms are the most satisfactory and efficient type of worm to use for composting. The worms need adequate temperature, moisture and ventilation. The optimum temperature is from 55-77 degrees. Remember that an active worm bin must be kept in a heated garage or basement during the winter to prevent freezing. The worm population increases (or decreases) according to how well they are feed. To determine the number of worms needed to populate a bin, figure one pound of worms for each pound of kitchen vegetable wastes produced per day. Worms process their own body weight of organic matter each day.

4. BURY GARBAGE
Kitchen vegetable waste, which can be composted, includes vegetable and fruit scraps, eggshells, bread products, coffee grounds and tea leaves. Meat, bones, fats, and dairy products should not be composted. It may be helpful to keep a plastic container near the kitchen sink to collect scraps. Keeping it uncovered will prevent odor but may attract fruit files. About twice a week, the contents may be buried in the worm bedding, rotating around the box utilizing a different area each time. Be sure to cover all the worm food with bedding. A sheet of black plastic should be laid over the surface to retain moisture.

5. HARVEST COMPOST
While there are several methods of harvesting compost and adding new bedding, the most convenient is to move the compost to one side of the bin and add new bedding and garbage to the other. Replacing the plastic sheet on only the half of the bin containing the new bedding will allow the compost to dry out some. The worms will migrate to the fresh material and the compost may be removed and replaced with new bedding. This migration may take several weeks.

NOTE: Kitchen vegetable wastes compost well in a worm bin and yield valuable worm castings compost. When adding kitchen vegetable waste to your outdoor compost pile you can create odors and attract vermin and other unwanted visitors if the wastes are not buried in the middle of the compost bin. Be especially careful if you add kitchen vegetable waste to a compost bin. Burying kitchen waste in the ground causes similar problems.

Recommended reading:
Worms Eat My Garbage
Mary Appelhof
Flower Press, 1982
10332 Shaver Rd.,
Kalamazoo, MI 49002
ISBN No. 0-942256-03-4

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Why do you bag your grass?
After all, lawn maintenance is work….And bagging your
lawn clippings is probably the most time-consuming part
of the job.

Now, consider not bagging your grass….That is-the hassle of stopping every 10 minutes to empty the mower bag, raking and wrestling with expensive trash bags. Instead of going to all that trouble, your clippings can remain on your lawn, working their way back into the soil to enrich it and save on watering.

According to Turf Experts, Grass Clippings:
reduce water evaporating from the lawn
reduce lawn wear by creating a cushioning layer
facilitate better growth by keeping the soil temperature cooler
There is one other important reason for leaving your clippings on the lawn. During the summer months, grass clippings can account for a whopping 16 percent of residential solid waste. With waste management costs rising and an environment to protect, it just makes sense.
You may choose to collect your clippings every third time you mow, or every other time. Your compost pile will need grass too. Regardless, you are creating a savings for you and the environment.

Lawn Maintenance Tips:
don't let your grass grow too long before mowing. The clippings should be no more than inch long in order to fall onto the soil.
Use a sharp mower blade (a mulching mower if you have one). The sharper the blade, the finer the clippings, the faster they decompose.
Avoid over fertilizing your lawn. To dense a growth will not allow your clippings to reach the soil to decompose.
Remove excessive thatch before leaving your clippings on the lawn. Although one-half inch of thatch is ideal, a thick layer will keep clippings from reaching the soil.
Always mow your lawn when it is dry so clippings will be able to filter down to the soil without clumping.nity or personal projects, along with using it for cover for our landfill For more information please contact the Solid Waste Office at 827-6900.