So You're Thinking About Composting
Have you ever considered composting but it seemed too complicated to get started? Worse yet, were you too afraid a compost bin would be stinky? Allow me to tell you why you’re wrong on both accounts and share my quick-start tips to get you on that good good compost train. Choo choo!
When I throw out old lettuce that I didn’t finish, I feel like I’m wasting a plant that still has something to offer. While Plan A should be to buy only the amount of food you’ll actually eat, it’s highly unlikely that you will consume every scrap of food that comes into your home. That’s where composting comes in as an ideal option for Plan B! Lots of the items in your kitchen trashcan are packed with nutrients and opportunity even if they don’t look appetizing to you. When those items go in the trash, they stink up the bag, get gross and sticky, and then are sent off to take up space and rot in a landfill. Who is that benefitting? Absolutely no one. Composting provides a marvelous alternative that saves you from icky trash, puts less waste into the landfill, and can take your yard to the next level. Heck, you can even donate your compost to your local Parks and Rec. department or start a business selling it to landscapers!
To get started, you are going to need 1) a small canister or container for your kitchen counter and 2) a larger outdoor composting bin. The canister is where you’re going to put food waste while you’re cooking and eating to save you from too many trips outside, and that big bin is where the magic happens. Composting works by allowing a high ratio of carbon-rich to nitrogen-rich ingredients decompose together. Oxygen and water help the microorganisms (and not-so-micro worms and crawly guys) reproduce and speed up the decomposition process. Lots of people who compost think of their ingredients as “brown” or “green.” The “brown” ingredients are what provide the carbon – newspapers, leaves, straw, and cardboard are great examples. The “green” ingredients bring the nitrogen to the party – those are our vegetable trimmings, tea bags, and coffee grounds. When you add the correct ratio of carbon and nitrogen materials to a compost bin with a little air and water, it all breaks down to create an earthy-smelling, nutrient-packed soil.
In actual practice, I like to say the steps are as easy as 3-2-1:
3: As you create food waste in your home, put it in your kitchen canister instead of the trashcan. About THREE times a week, empty that canister into your compost bin.
2: Every time you put in those green ingredients, add brown material like newspapers or leaves from your yard. You want to keep the brown/green ratio at TWO to one. (Think TWO times as much paper or leaves as food scraps)
1: At least ONE time a week, give the mix a good stir and a little bit of water. The mix should be moist to the touch, but not soggy.
And there you have it! I love composting because it’s a sustainable choice that actually pays you back with a high-quality product. After you spend one startup morning choosing a place for your bin and setting it up, you’re good to go. After the first day, a compost bin takes almost no effort to maintain - simply add your green and brown ingredients, and give it a stir! Within 2-3 weeks, your bin should be producing soil that’s better than the stuff at the nursery. Just think of all the things you’ll be keeping out of landfills! Between food waste, coffee grounds, junk mail, newspapers, and cardboard packaging, I bet you can keep at least a bag of trash out of the landfill every week by yourself. Lastly, composting is a merciful and forgiving process. There are endless opportunities to customize your green/brown ratio depending on what specific ingredients you like to add. The internet has a fix for any composting problem that might come up, all you have to do is grab your canister and compost bin!
So what are you waiting for?
Below are some great beginner products recommended by the Scout Leader. There are endless options for building your own compost system, but these are a great starting place for beginners (hello, bin with a crank so you don’t have to manually rake and turn your compost pile). Whether you decide to build it or buy it, let me know what works for you through the Troop 7B Twitter and Facebook accounts!
Once you’ve got your gear, check out this list of the Scout Leader’s favorite composting tricks.
