📍 Quick Answer
microGREENFX containers are home-compost certified, breaking down in a residential backyard pile in 90 to 180 days at ambient SE PA temperatures. A simple home compost setup in SE PA is a 3-by-3 wood-pallet bin, a balanced mix of brown materials (leaves, cardboard, paper) and green materials (food scraps, grass clippings), and weekly turning. Drop the empty microGREENFX container directly into the pile. It breaks down alongside food scraps in 3 to 6 months without any special preparation.
You bought microgreens in a compostable container. The container is empty now. The question is what to do with it. 🪴
If you already have a backyard compost pile, the answer is short: drop it in. Skip to the timeline section. The container will be soil in 3 to 6 months.
If you do not have a compost pile, this is the simple SE Pennsylvania backyard composting guide. It takes about 30 minutes to set up and almost no ongoing maintenance.
A Simple SE PA Backyard Compost Setup 🌳
- Bin. A 3-by-3 foot wood-pallet bin works. Three pallets stood up to form a 3-sided box, fourth side open for access. $0 if you have free pallets, $20 to $40 if you buy them.
- Location. Partial shade, on bare soil (not concrete), with reasonable drainage. Most SE PA backyards have a workable spot.
- Layering. Alternate brown materials (dry leaves, cardboard, shredded paper) and green materials (food scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds). Aim for roughly 3 parts brown to 1 part green by volume.
- Moisture. The pile should feel like a wrung-out sponge. Add water in dry summer weeks. SE PA gets enough rain in spring and fall that you usually do not need to water.
- Turning. Once a week with a pitchfork. Mixes air in. Speeds up the decomposition.
What to Compost (and What Not To) ✅❌
- Yes: Vegetable scraps, fruit peels, coffee grounds, tea bags (no staples), eggshells, plain paper, cardboard (shredded), dry leaves, grass clippings (in small amounts), microGREENFX containers, certified compostable bioplastics.
- No: Meat, dairy, oils, pet waste (cat or dog), diseased plants, weed seeds, conventional plastic, glossy printed paper, "biodegradable" plastic without home-compost certification.
- Maybe: Citrus peels (use sparingly, can be acidic), bread (attracts pests if pile is small), large branches (chip first or compost separately).
How to Add a microGREENFX Container 📦
Empty container, no special preparation needed. Some users break the container into smaller pieces to speed up decomposition, but this is optional.
Drop into the pile, cover with a layer of brown material (dry leaves or cardboard) to prevent flies. Continue normal compost routine.
The container will visibly soften and break down over the first 30 to 60 days. By 90 to 180 days, it will be unrecognizable, fully integrated into the compost.
Timeline for Decomposition ⏱️
- Days 1 to 14. Container looks unchanged. Microbes begin colonizing.
- Days 15 to 60. Container softens, edges blur, lid (PLA) begins visible decomposition. Body (sugarcane fiber) integrates with surrounding compost.
- Days 61 to 120. Most of the container is unrecognizable. Small fragments may remain.
- Days 121 to 180. Fully composted. The original container is now part of the soil.
- Faster in summer, slower in winter. SE PA winter slows compost activity. A container added in October may take until April. A container added in May may be done by August.
What to Do With the Finished Compost 🌱
After 6 to 12 months, the bottom of the pile becomes finished compost. Dark, crumbly, smells like forest floor. This is the highest-quality soil amendment money can buy, except you grew it yourself for free.
Use it in your vegetable garden, around fruit trees, in container plants, or on the lawn as a top dressing. Most SE PA soils are clay-heavy and benefit dramatically from added compost.
A surprising number of microGREENFX customers tell us they have started a backyard compost specifically because of the containers. The containers are the gateway to a broader composting habit.
No Backyard? Other Options 🏘️
- Curbside compost programs. Some SE PA municipalities have curbside compost. Check with your borough or township. Drop microGREENFX containers in the green bin.
- Drop-off compost programs. Several SE PA farmers markets and community gardens accept compost drop-off. Bobolink Dairy, Headhouse Farmers Market, and others.
- Bokashi indoor composting. Apartment-friendly indoor system that uses a fermentation process before final composting. Works for microGREENFX containers if broken into small pieces first.
- Worm bin (vermicomposting). Indoor or outdoor worm bins handle food scraps and torn-up cardboard or compostable containers.
A Few Calibrating Questions 🤔
- Do you already have a backyard compost pile, or is this a new habit?
- How much yard space do you have for a compost setup?
- If you live in an apartment, would a curbside or drop-off program work for you?
- Is the container disposal step what is keeping you from buying compostable-packaged products?
- Would a step-by-step setup guide for your specific township help you start composting?
Get Microgreens You Can Compost 🌿
Every microGREENFX delivery is in a home-compost-certified container. Drop in your backyard pile or curbside compost when finished.