Have you ever considered how much food ends up in the landfills where it takes The average American wastes one pound of food every single day. When food ends up in landfills it will eventually decompose, but it takes considerably longer than it would if composted. The lack of oxygen in land fills makes the decomposition process take much longer to break down food waste when it is thrown in the trash.
Ever consider composting? If you are considering reducing the waste produced by your household, you should think about it. An added bonus is that composting actually saves you money. If you have a garden or indoor plants (which you should, and you can read more about that in other articles), you will not need to buy expensive fertilizers for your plants. Worried about up front costs for your new environmentally friendly habit? The price you pay is completely up to you. I started composting at no cost. That is right, absolutely free.
I used to be intimidated by the thought of composting. A lot of people recommend expensive equipment in order to maximize your compost. I had a small space and no idea how to get started. This year, I transitioned to a vegan diet because I came across research that suggested that veganism significantly decreased your impact on the environment and also provided health benefits. Both of these things are true, but it's not why we are here today.
The transition to a vegan diet created a problem for me. I had a significant increase in plant food waste from cutting the ends and inedible parts off of vegetables and peeling the skins. Rather than having these natural items sit in piles in a landfill where they take years to eventually break down, I decided it was time to reduce my waste.
Another motivating factor for me to start composting was how expensive potting soils and plant food are to buy in a store. Composting can save you a lot of money and help your plants thrive. If, like me, you don't have a large space to garden in, small hanging potting options help you grow your own herbs/vegetables/fruits. I also love indoor plants and have been growing orchids, a variety of bonsai trees, and leafy plants. Indoor plants are a great way to decorate your space and naturally clean the air that you breathe.
Rather than buying equipment to start my pile, which is completely unnecessary, I just decided which section in my backyard I would use to dispose of my food waste and started placing the food waste in that section of my yard. If you are concerned about rodents you can buy the equipment for composting or build walls around the area you will be using for compost, but this is not necessary in most cases.
Can it really be that simple? Yes! It makes me wish I had started when I purchased my home rather than waiting so long. I could have saved myself some money on potting soil.
There are some items you want to keep out of your compost pile. Meat waste and dairy can transfer Salmonella and E. coli to your compost, which will spread to your plants when the compost is ready to be used. Placing products with too much oil in your compost will slow the decomposition process and reduce the water and air flow in your pile.
Now you can do this process as it has been written so far, but there are a few additional tips you may want to consider if you are planning on using your compost.
If you want to make sure your pile does not smell bad, add paper and other carbon-rich (also known as brown materials). Nitrogen-rich (green materials) such as food waste produce the heat necessary for all of the items to break down, but can cause odor. There are many recommendations you can find on how to properly measure compost materials and layering, but these aren't really necessary. The smaller you break down your brown materials, the faster they will decompose. I personally utilize about a 2:1 ration for the browns vs. greens, but it varies based upon what I have available.
In order to make the items breakdown and end up with the finished product of compost sooner, turn the pile using a shovel (simply take the items from the bottom of the pile and shift them so the most recent items are closer to the bottom of the pile). This is unnecessary, the items will decompose if you turn the pile or not. Adding water to your pile can also make it break down faster. Ideally, your pile should be damp, but not wet. Larger piles break down faster because they produce more heat.
It turns out that composting is actually a very simple way to reduce your waste. Composting can be a free way to make a transition to a zero-waste lifestyle (if that is something you are interested in pursuing). The money you save from compost is worth the "hassle" which is not much work at all.
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