Turn your trash into earthy, mineral rich soil by composting. It's easy, great for the environment and super cheap. Landfills are brimming, and new sites are not likely to be easily found. Many claim that composting smells, but that's a common misconception. If you follow a few simple rules, composting will reduce your trash load and do wonders for your garden with no unpleasant odor.

So what can put in your compost?

Almost any organic material is suitable for a compost pile. The pile needs a proper ratio of carbon-rich materials, or "browns," and nitrogen-rich materials, or "greens." Among the brown materials are dried leaves, straw and wood chips. Nitrogen materials are fresh or green, such as grass clippings and kitchen scraps.

Pine needles need to be chopped or shredded, as they decompose slowly. Grass clippings break down quickly and contain quite a bit of nitrogen. Avoid grass clippings that contain pesticide or herbicide residue, unless a steady rain has washed the residue from the grass blades.

Kitchen scraps can include fruit rinds, vegetable peelings, tea bags and banana peels. The average household produces more than 200 pounds of kitchen waste every year. Do not add meat, meat products, dairy products or high-fat foods like salad dressings and peanut butter to your compost because they can cause a nasty smell when they rot.

How do you get started?

To compost select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin. Add your brown and green materials as you collect them. Moisten dry materials as they are added. When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use (this occurs between two months and two years). Try and keep it covered or keep a lid on your composting bin in order to keep it from drying up.

Composting is so easy and can help reduce your kitchen and yard waste dramatically. Waste that would be clogging up a landfill goes to much better use livening up your garden. The soil produces a fabulous alternative to using harsh toxin-laced fertilizer that is harmful to you and your environment.