Composting

According to the EPA, compostable food scraps and other natural waste products account for more than 28 percent of a home’s weekly trash (EPA 2019). (For vegetarian households, the percentage is typically higher because more of its food scraps are compostable.) Sending that waste to the landfill increases energy use and pollution: more trash means more trash trucks and more trips to the landfill. In addition, as the waste rots in the landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas. 

Composting at home is a simple method of “food recovery” (reducing food waste by redistributing or recycling discarded food). It creates a rich soil amendment for your garden and landscape plants, and it’s totally free (except for any bin materials you have to buy). 

Building a compost bin and composting food and yard waste is much easier than most people think. While you can build a three-bin composter to manage your compost in stages, this is overkill for most home use. All you really need is a clear area of dirt that is fenced off to keep out the family dog. Here’s one simple design you can build in a few hours: 

1. Dig four holes to form the corners of a square or rectangle. Make them about 12 to 18 inches deep and 8 inches in diameter. 
2. Set a 3- or 4-foot long 4x4 post into each hole. Fill around the post with the dug-up soil, compacting layers of soil every 4 inches or so, using a 2x4 board or the handle of your shovel. Make sure the post is straight as you work. 
3. Wrap chicken wire or galvanized hardware cloth around the outsides of the post to create a fenced enclosure (it should be easy to step over). Staple the wire to the posts or secure it with a few fence staples (U-shaped nails).

To start composting, simply dump your compostable material into a pile, forming it into a mound. Turn over the pile every couple of weeks; a pitchfork works best, but you can also use a shovel. If you add a lot of paper, grass clippings, and other dry materials, you might need to add some water to the compost to keep it moist, but if you compost mostly food scraps, you shouldn’t have to add water. Once the compost at the bottom looks like dark brown soil (in fact, it is soil), it’s ready to use. 

What to Compost
Compostables are grouped as “greens” or “browns.” To make the richest and quickest compost, try to add half greens and half browns to your pile. 

Greens

• Fruits and vegetables
• Eggshells
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Yard trimmings
• Grass clippings
• Houseplants
• Hay and straw
• Leaves

Browns

• Sawdust
• Wood chips
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Fireplace ashes
• Shredded newspaper
• Cardboard
• Paper

(EPA 2019)

What Not to Compost
Properly managed compost piles have a fruity-vegetable smell (for real). They smell bad only if you add the wrong types of food or you dump in loads of green grass (which smells terrible). Never add any of these items to your pile.

• Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
  • ​Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
• ​Coal or charcoal ash
  • Might contain substances harmful to plants
• ​Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs* 
  • Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Diseased or insect-ridden plants
  • ​Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants
• Fats, grease, lard, or oils*
  • Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Meat or fish bones and scraps*
  • ​Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)*
  • ​Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans
• Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
  • ​Might kill beneficial composting organisms

* Check with your local composting or recycling coordinator to see if these organics are accepted by your community curbside or drop-off composting program (EPA 2019).

The Challenge
For the next two weeks, try composting your natural waste instead of throwing it away. If you already have a compost pile, send us some composting tips or tell us what you’re using your compost for. ​

The planet thanks you!

Sources
"Composting At Home." EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 13 Nov. 2019,
www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home.