"Saving the world, one person at a time."

Zero Waste: Composting

-

   Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow.  Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

   Most people don't realize how much food they throw away every day - from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce.  About 94 percent of the food we throw away ends up in landfills or combustion facilities.  In 2015, we disposed 37.6 million tons of food waste.  Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up about 30 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead.

   It is a great idea to look up what your city has to offer for composting services.

  My city, Colorado Springs, there is an inner city compost project done by Colorado Springs Food Rescue called Soil Cycle.  Soil Cycle provides you with a food scrap bin, picks it up regularly, then composts it for you.  They then use the nutrient filled soil in urban farms or you can have it back.  Those urban farms, like the Mid Shooks Run Community Garden, donate some of what they grow back into CSFR's Fresh Food Connect - a high impact anti-hunger program that freely distributes homegrown food to families and communities that experience a shortage of healthy options.

Composting Ingredients:

  1. "Browns" - dead leaves, wood, coconut coir, maybe soil.
  2. "Greens" - grass, food, poop
      • Chopping or shredding materials into 1" x 1" increases the surface area on which microorganisms can feed and therefore it decomposes faster.

                   Yes, Compost  

    • Fruits and veggies
    • Eggshells
    • Coffee grounds and filters
    • Nut shells
    • Shredded newspaper
    • Cardboard
    • Paper
    • Yard trimmings
    • Houseplants
    • Hay and straw
    • Sawdust
    • Wood chips
    • Cotton and Wool
    • Dryer and vacuum lint
    • Hair and fur
    • Fireplace ash

              No, Don't Compost   

    • Dairy products and eggs
      • Odor and attracts pests
      • Meat bones and scraps
        • Odor and attracts pests
      • Fats, grease, lards, and oil
        • Odor and attracts pests
      • Pet Wastes
        • parasites, bacteria, viruses
      • Diseased and Insect infected plants
        • transfers back to other plants
      • Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
        • kills beneficial composting organisms
      • Black walnut tree trimmings
        • releases substances harmful to other plants
      • Coal or charcoal ash
        • substances harmful to plants
          3.  Moisture - microorganisms need moisture to survive.  If you squeeze a handful of compost, it should drip liquid.  If it doesn't, it's too dry.  If it drips without squeezing, too wet.
          4.  Oxygen - turning the pile, pipes with holes, or bulk material like cardboard, wood chips, etc. create airflow.
          5.  Temperature - microorganisms can bring the center of a pile to 140 degrees Fahrenheit or more.  If it doesn't reach at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, rotting will occur. Buying a compost thermometer can be helpful.

    Types of Composting:

    Aerobic: pipping or turned regularly, little to no smell, does NOT decompose meat & dairy, makes compost faster  (3-6 months)
    Anaerobic: place and leave, smells, does decompose meat & dairy, takes longer to make compost (6 months-2 years) (RELEASES METHANE = BAD)
    1. In-Vessel or Bin - Can be done Anaerobic or Aerobically.  Compost Tumblers are in my opinion the easiest compost for a house-hold.  
    2. Pile - Can be done Anaerobic or Aerobically.  Simply making a pile by layering browns, greens and soil.  Some use brick or chicken wire to keep the pile from spreading out.
    3. Trench or Pit - Can be done Anaerobic or Aerobically.  Involves digging into the ground, filling it with scraps and placing the soil back on top.
    4. Vermicompost - Aerobic only.  Uses Specific worms such as red wrigglers.  Shortest time to make compost.  Takes more time and effort to keep worms alive.  Great for apartment dwellers.
    5. Bokashi - Anaerobic. Bran or newspaper infused with active microbes in a plastic bin.  Good for small amount of compost.  
    6. Windrow - Anaerobic/Aerobic. Same as pile composting only a much larger scale.  Piles are 4-8 feet tall and 14-16 feet wide.  Usually used by farmers.  I think it could be used by local governments.
    I hope you will consider one of these types of composting for your home and/or business.  Check out my Weekly Updates to know how my own vermi-compost is going.