Composting 101

Let's compost together! Here is Sustainable Living Society's definitive guide to Composting at Home!

Wasted food is an environmental problem: Food is the largest stream of materials in global trash. Once wasted food reaches landfills, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

Composting is a great way to reduce your waste and your contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. It can definitely seem like a daunting task, but it's actually really simple! Composting isn't nearly as hard or as stinky as you've been led to believe. Anyone can compost anywhere they live, as long as you understand the basics.

Compost is simply decayed organic matter. When you mix a bunch of these items together in a compost pile, they break down naturally into a nutrient-rich fertilizer that helps gardens grow. But what can be composted exactly?

DO COMPOST

Organic matter can be anything from a banana peel to pasta. Stale bread, cereal, any fruits and vegetable scraps. Additionally, coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves, herbs, spices, and nut and eggshells are all acceptable ingredients.

DON'T COMPOST

What cannot be composted?? Any animal products...no meat, fish, butter, yogurt, cheese, milk, or animal fat is allowed. It's also a good rule of thumb to keep anything oily or greasy out of the pile.

HOW TO COMPOST

Composting involves a lot of collecting — into a pile, heap, or bin. Instead of throwing out your coffee grounds or veggie scraps throughout the week, you just load them into your compost. Once you've collected everything into a pile, heap, or bin, you need a spot to put your compost. Many of us living in the city might not have access to a big backyard but there are alternative options of places to put your compost.

Unless you’re producing a lot of soil quickly, you can likely use most of what you compost in your potted plants at home In addition to the helpful nutrients, compost has good water retention properties so it will be great for your plants. Just make sure your compost is completely decomposed (so it doesn’t compete with the plants) before you begin. For the best potting soil, you’ll probably want to mix the compost with store-bought organic potting soil. If you can't use it on plants indoors, consider donating it, giving it to a neighbor, or getting it collected by local composting collection services.

Or maybe you are composting in a house with an outdoor space. First, designate a spot outside for your compost heap. Some people maintain a heap of stuff on the ground, while others prefer to keep their scraps in a tub or container. Every other week, turn your compost pile with a shovel to let it aerate. Continue to add water to keep it moist, and keep an eye on mold or pests. But otherwise, you can sit back, relax, and let nature do the rest of the work. It will take a few months for your scraps to morph into soil, but you should notice a change after a few weeks! Add this self-made soil to your garden and your plants will go crazy for it! Know that you are doing a great thing for our planet!!

References:

https://foodinsight.org/taking-sustainability-to-the-next-level/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAwf39BRCCARIsALXWETzvtRzdvOlpi233IUg-AP3M81GQluWhFBpHPbxyLa5mPnRaMHZK-XMaAsNeEALw_wcB

Thanks for reading!! We are TCD Sustainable living society, here to unite and elicit positive change in the world. Together we can learn a thing or two about environmentally friendly living and strive to make an impact with smart sustainable choices. If you enjoy what you read or have suggestions on topics you’d like to discuss next, leave us a comment! If you haven’t joined already, sign up to the Sustainable Living Society HERE. We look forward to creating a community of like-minded eco-warriors together! If you enjoyed what you read or learned something new, why not sign up for our weekly newsletter!