She said she was tired of putting yard trimmings into plastic bags, which can't be recycled, and setting them out for the collector.

Composting involves collecting organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, and storing it under conditions designed to help it break down naturally.

Paper and paperboard account for 29 percent and yard trimmings and food scraps account for another 27 percent.

An estimated 57.5 percent of yard trimmings were recovered for composting or grasscycled in 2010, a dramatic increase from the 12 percent recovery rate in 1990.

The scavengers made a living from materials similar to those salvaged in recycling programs today such as wood, metals, glass, rags, yard trimmings and food residuals.

"There are currently very few locations in the United States where anything other than yard trimmings is composted," the report said.

Common garbage is municipal waste, which consists mainly of paper, yard trimmings, glass, and other materials.

Practice composting by using microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) to decompose organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings.

This section of the Organic Materials website provides information about collection and recovery of yard trimmings including:

Regional recovery and diversion options existed in 2006 for paper, glass, metals, plastics, yard trimmings, food, clean wood, concrete, asphalt, and roofing.