Hello again.
I have gotten a few requests for some information on composting (Hi Michael, Maria, & Alec!). So here we go:
I find composting to profoundly beautiful (after all, aren’t we all headed to the same fate one day?) and once you get the hang of it, it’s extremely simple and easy.
It’s also actually extremely important.
Why? Well, when food decomposes anaerobically (which is typically what happens if food goes to a landfill because it gets trapped) it releases methane and nitrous oxide. Methane is 30 times more potent than Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide is nearly 300 times more potent than it. If, however, food breaks down in an aerobic process (in the presence of oxygen) then the microbes that produce these gases are not active. Therefore, you can, every day, reduce these emissions simply by composting.
For home composting, I keep a container on my countertop by the sink and put everything compostable in it. When the container is full, I bring it out to the metal bin in the back. When I get to it, I turn over the compost with a shovel and then when it’s ready, I scatter it among the plants. Easy-peasy.
My sister first chastised me several years ago for not composting when I was living in an apartment with a large patio. So I began and never looked back. Since I have moved I now have a mini backyard, which lends itself well to composting. I understand not everyone has a backyard or a large patio. There are many solutions for apartment composting, though. There are indoor composters, or even if you have a small patio, you can make room for a bin (if you are composting properly then it won’t stink!). I have a friend that kept her food scraps in a bowl in the freezer and then brought her compost to a nearby community garden. Another person I know saves her food scraps and brings her compost to her local farmer’s market to give to her farmer friend. Another individual would go to yard waste bins in her neighbors’ yards and discreetly add in her food scraps. Hopefully, in the near future, composting will be a required public utility everywhere like it is in some cities like Seattle.
Some Composting Tips:
To make your compost break down more quickly, make sure you turn it over, cut up any large pieces into smaller pieces, keep it in the sun and make sure it is moist.
There are compost helpers- Earthworms and Black Soldier Fly. You can purchase these little friends and they will be of immense help in breaking down your organic matter. Each have requirements though, so make sure to do some research so you know you are bringing them to a safe home. I have gotten lucky a few times and Black Solider Flies have laid their eggs in my compost heap. Their larvae are powerful and produce amazing compost!!!
Odd Things You Can Compost:
Bread(s)
Cereal
Any Grain
Wine Corks (cut 'em up)
Leftover Wine
Coffee Grounds
Coffee Filters
Leaves
Grass Clippings (As long as it’s not treated with chemicals)
Hair
Nail Clippings
Lint
Butter Wrappers (or any clean Waxed Paper)
Egg Shells (You technically should wash them first but I don’t)
Urine
Tea Bags
Bamboo Chopsticks (better to just get some metal ones and refuse the to-go ones)
Wooden Stirrers (same deal as the Chopsticks)
Toothpicks (ditto)
Egg Cartons (although it’s better to return those to your Farmer’s Market farmer so they can reuse them)
Cardboard
Pits (but they take forever…it’s the pits)
Most Likely Any Other Plant Based Product
Things You Can’t Compost:
Dairy
Meat (including Fish)
Bones
Fats
Diseased Plants
That should do it for now. I will make a video in a few weeks and to show how I compost just in case that might be of help. If you have any questions regarding this post or any post, please contact me.
Thanks for reading and happy composting!