Out for a stroll, I walked past a pile of leaves that the wind made outside a building. You could EASILY start a trash can sized compost pile with just this much. If you live in the city but don't have any trees on the block, go for a walk and scoop some up to get it going... then watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0EPnJJw198
I get asked pretty often about how to compost leaves quickly- now is the time to focus on collecting them to get you through the colder months. As you can see, my compost bin is only halfway full at the moment, and that's after I swept the sidewalk and threw in what I could. If you toss them in your compost pile as is, they will take longer to fully break down...but that's OK- I don't feel like doing any extra work right now. Once I collect 4-5 full bags' worth of fall leaves from around the block, then I'll break out my favorite noisy, clunky leaf shredder. I will be able to make that all those leaves fit into one nice and neat trash can to be used as…
Yikes! I found a compost bin with uncovered materials. I guess if you don't have neighbors nearby, there's nothing wrong with feeding the local critters... however, we can really put the pile to work by simply piling on the browns to balance the contents and insulate it. Luckily there's no shortage of cover materials... right next to the bin! Better yet, they're all damp. Five minutes later: Much better! Mission accomplished.