Composting Your Organic

There’s a great quote by Anne Dillard, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” It’s a simple enough concept, but it’s easy to lose sight of with all the noise of the daily grind. In short, the little things add up to the big things, even when we may not be thinking about it. That’s why it’s important to make sure the little actions we take on a daily basis add up to a positive impact on a larger scale – for example, recycling  – that one tiny piece of trash may not seem like a big deal, but if we throw away tiny things every day, we’ll make the positive impact we are all capable of contributing toward. Similarly, composting. It’s easier than you may think to compost organic waste – it offers you many direct and tangible benefits, and it’s a productive habit on a larger scale as well. Here’s how you can get started composting your organic waste.

Avoiding waste

The best benefit of composting is to avoid doing it at all. It may sound silly, but let us explain. When you compost your food waste, it promotes more awareness of how much we’re actually wasting in the first place. Instead of shoving all your uneaten leftovers down the disposal or into the garbage and out of sight, it will force more acknowledgement of how much is being wasted, so we can take steps to reduce that and prepare only what we need. Not only is this better for the environment, but it’s also better for our wallets – that’s always a major win.

Choose a method

Your method of composting is likely determined by your living situation. Obviously, living in a residential house will make things a bit easier, but we don’t want apartment-dwellers to think it’s out of the question for them. There are two methods of composting available for those who don’t have outdoor spaces – one is called ‘vermicomposting’ and the other is called ‘Bokasi’. Vermicomposting involves sealing your organic waste into a bin with worms, while Bokasi uses microorganisms. You’ll need to research both methods to see which you prefer, but both are highly achievable in small spaces – and we’ve been assured the smell is not an issue with the right containment unit.

If you have a backyard, that definitely expands your options. There are two main methods, one of which is more hands-off but takes longer, while the other requires a bit more participation but works faster. For the former, pick a secluded area of your yard – you’ll probably want to enclose it – and fill it with grass, leaves, dirt, and turn it over with a rake every few days or weeks. Eventually it will decompose. For the second option, which will get results faster, you’ll need to do some research and properly mix carbon rich and nitrogen rich materials, and you’ll soon have composted nutrient-rich soil.

No matter which method you use, you’ll be able to apply your new composted mixture to small plants or full gardens, and even use it to grow your own food, which further reduces waste! Both the environment and your wallet will thank you.

I would link to recycling article.