Trying to Reduce your Waste? Consider Composting while Cooking!

According to Earth911.com, Americans throw away an average of 1.3 pounds of food scraps daily per person. Most of this can be added to home compost systems, keeping trash out of landfills and turned into nutrient-rich garden soil and mulch within just a few months. Beyond just the kitchen, home composting systems can reduce yard waste that needs to be hauled to the dump by anywhere from 50 to 75%! Composting while you cook is a great and easy way to reduce your impact on the environment.

Home composting systems can range from small counter crocks to keep your scraps until you can take them outside to a larger unit, hidden cabinet units, midsize apartment gardening setups, or full-on backyard bins. Passive composting systems can be as simple as a pile of leaves and other organic matter left to rot in the distant corner of your yard; active systems require more participation by the user, turning and aerating the material as it decays to ensure even decomposition. Some systems even add worms to the compost like this system from VermiPro,  while other pet-friendly setups will even incorporate pet waste.

The important essentials include maintaining proper moisture and using a variety of compostable materials ranging from plants and garden clippings, kitchen scraps, and even newspaper and hair. The composting process is fueled by millions of microscopic organisms (microbes, bacteria, and fungi) that assist with decomposition, eventually creating a rich, organic fertilizer.

Composting guides generally sort compostable materials into two categories, according to what they contribute to the process: green (nitrogen) and brown (carbon). Regardless of what you eat, it’s probably okay to add it to the compost mix: Apple cores, banana peels, citrus rinds, coffee grounds, corncobs, egg shells, pasta, popcorn, potato peels, pumpkin seeds, rice, salad, sandwich crusts, spoiled canned fruit or veggies. Non-food items like tea bags, newspaper and brown bags, shredded cardboard and cereal boxes, and paper towels can also be added to the compost. Be sure to leave out such items as meat, bones, fat, grease, dairy products, salad dressings, cheese, or cooking oil. And obviously, do not include such items as plastic wrappers, bags, or containers.

Composting101.com explains that a balanced mixture of brown fibrous ingredients and greens will ensure the composting process doesn’t take too long and that you don’t end up with a slimy, smelly heap. The site also recommends you shred or dice scraps into small pieces to help the resident bacteria do a good job in converting the garbage into compost.

Even though it’s made of trash, your compost pile should have a pleasant earthy smell. It shouldn’t stink as long as the ingredients stay in proper balance: Too much nitrogen makes it smell like ammonia, so add some carbon materials and mix well to help remove the odor. Too much moisture can also make it smell foul, so add dry materials and turn the pile.

Within a few months, you will be rewarded with a rich humus you can use to fertilize your yard and garden… as well as the satisfaction of knowing you’re keeping your organic waste out of landfill.

Excellent guides to getting started composting can be found at composting101.com or at ehow.com

If you’re already a home composter, we’d love to hear your tips and comments here. Please share your experiences with us!

Creative Commons image credits:
trashbasket by Livtob at morguefile.com, compost by suezoo at morguefile.com

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Tags: composting and gardening, Natural, Organic, reduce