I’ve tried many things in my quest to live more sustainably, from giving up plastic straws to recycling plastic grocery bags. In Iryna Bilohorka’s blog, “How to Start Living Sustainably,” she suggests buying locally produced food as a sustainable alternative. However, buying fresh produce is a constant battle against spoilage. Roughly 150,000 pounds of food is thrown out by U.S. households every day. Decomposing food in landfills produces methane. However, according to Project Drawdown’s modeling, “worldwide implementation of composting practices [could] reduce emissions by 2.3 billion tons over the next 30 years.”
What is composting?
How Stuff Works defines composting as “a method for treating solid waste in which organic material is broken down by microorganisms in the presence of oxygen (aerobic) to a point where it can be safely stored, handled and applied to the environment.” The finished product, known as humus, “can benefit the environment as a natural fertilizer for gardening and farming.”
Why should I do it?
Americans composted 2.6 million tons of food scraps in 2017 compared to 1.84 million tons in 2013. According to the EPA, composting benefits include: enriching the soil through enhanced moisture retention and suppression of pests and plant diseases, a decreased need for chemical fertilizers, encourages beneficial bacteria and fungi growth which creates a nutrient-rich humus material, and the reduction of methane emissions as well as individual carbon footprints.
What are my choices?
The biggest decision is whether to compost indoors or outdoors. Here’s how the two methods can differ:
Tips for composting indoors
Use worms! (Fat ones, skinny ones, and little itsy-bitsy ones.)
According to the Food Network, instead of relying on brown material (dead leaves, branches, and twigs), indoor composting utilizes worms to eat the waste and poop it out. Choosing a spot with good airflow helps maintain odor-free indoor compost.
Use food scrap collection and drop-off locations
Many cities will collect food scraps either from your home or at designated drop off locations. For example, GrowNYC has food scrap collection points in all five boroughs of NYC. But you’ll need a countertop compost bin to hold waste.
The Bokashi Method
If worms aren’t your thing, compost using the Bokashi method, sans worm. Bokashi composting is an anaerobic fermentation process lasting ten days. Kitchen scraps are layered with a mixture of wheat germ, wheat bran, or sawdust combined with molasses and effective microorganisms. The liquid “bokashi tea” is drained from the bucket and used to fertilize house plants. Bonus: Meat, bones, and dairy are considered compostable with this method.
Tips on outdoor composting
A key element of outdoor composting is choosing a spot that isn’t susceptible to too many temperature or moisture changes. The microorganisms that turn waste into compost prefer stable conditions. While larger bins work better than smaller ones, you don’t need a fancy composting bin to get started. Using a cardboard box works just fine! (Make sure to remove all non-biodegradable materials like the packing tape first.)
A good compost pile consists of equal parts “browns” (yard material like dead leaves) and “greens” (food scraps and fresh grass clippings). But materials like meat, bones, and pet waste are a no-go because they attract more pests like rats. Furthermore, most compost bins don’t get hot enough to kill pathogens in pet waste. The ideal compost ratio consists of 25—30 parts carbon (shredded cardboard, fruit, straw, leaves) for every one-part nitrogen (coffee grounds, vegetable scraps, garden waste). Too far in either direction will result in a slower or smellier process.
After establishing your compost pile, the EPA recommends burying fruit and vegetable waste under ten inches of compost material. It can take anywhere from two months to two years to achieve mature, ready-to-use compost.
No matter what method you choose, starting a compost heap is good for the environment. If all else fails, look for automatic composters. The Zera food recycler is expensive, but there are sure to be other more affordable options out there.
Personally, as I am starting out on this journey, I have come to realize it’s worth taking my composting efforts a step further. Veles is a company that turns your organic waste into a household cleaner! In our episode Cleaning House, WSTP interviewed Velez founder Amanda Weeks on how she is tackling the country’s food waste to landfill problem. Talk about a sustainability slam dunk.
Happy composting, everyone!
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