New homeowners have a lot to think about and many decisions to make. Should I paint the walls in the kitchen? Are these electric outlets grounded? Do we need a plow guy? Not to mention all of the ways at home you can make a difference for the environment. When John Greene bought his first house in Newmarket, he decided he was finally going to start composting at home.

John is a Community Relations Specialist here at Eversource, managing our relationships with municipalities in eastern New Hampshire. Among other things, this can include project updates, permitting mediation, emergency preparedness, and economic development. He studied environmental conservation and policy at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), and he has brought that commitment to sustainability with him to Eversource as a member of our Green Team.

For Earth Day this year, John is taking the opportunity to help others learn about the fun you can have while promoting environmental sustainability through composting. “I learned about composting at UNH and got to tour some of the local farms to learn how they put this ‘waste’ to work,” he said. “So it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but I never had the opportunity.”

Garden alchemy

If you’re not familiar with composting, think about it like recycling, except with leftover food waste or yard clippings. Carrot peels, egg shells, raked leaves; it all goes in. “You’d be surprised how many takeout containers and coffee cups are compostable nowadays,” said John. If you blend it right and wait long enough, you end up with compost, which is “like gold for your garden.” Equally important, it reduces landfill waste.

There are a number of different methods for starting a compost pile at home, but many require space and the time to get the right mix of nitrogen, carbon, water, and air. “I wanted to start composting at home, but I didn’t have much of a yard,” said John. “I also wasn’t sure what I would do with the compost; I only have a small garden bed.” Enter Mr. Fox.

It’s kind of fantastic

John heard about Mr. Fox Composting from his travels around the community and recalled learning through an internship at UNH about how they worked with local restaurants to compost food waste. “It turned out they also do residential pick up, which is just what I needed,” he said. For $16 a month, Mr. Fox provides John with an 8-gallon bin that they come by and empty every other week. “I keep a small bucket in my kitchen that I use to transport the scraps to the bin outside. Honestly, it’s so easy it feels like cheating.”

After a couple of years using the composting service at his new home, John is still happy with his decision. “It makes me feel good to know I’m playing a small role in helping the environment and contributing to compost that other farmers in the community will put to good use.” Plus, he adds, “Every year they give me a bag of soil, which is just the right amount for our little garden!”