We shared what foods to avoid putting down your garbage disposal, but don’t worry! We won’t leave you with a handful of scraps.
Instead of throwing food waste down the drain or into the garbage, we recommend composting.
The Long And Short Of It
Compost consists of decomposed organic materials, while composting refers to the natural process by which compost is created. Finished compost is dark in color and rich in nutrients, making it a highly valued soil additive referred to by gardeners as Black Gold.
But Wait! There’s More!
Composting isn’t just good for your garden, it’s good for the environment and good for your garbage disposal.
In a 2017 study on household composting, researchers tracked household waste in a series of homes over the course of a year and discovered that, on average, composting saved 277 pounds of waste per person that otherwise would have gone to decompose in landfills. Though organic matter does naturally decompose in landfills, it does so underground and undergoes a process that produces methane – a greenhouse gas that’s bad for the environment and 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, composting at home occurs above ground and allows access to oxygen, meaning decomposition can occur sans methane.
(Know your meme! Come on a Neature Walk.)
Composting is also good for your garbage disposal! While your garbage disposal can handle a lot, there are various foods and food waste that require a different method of discard, lest you invite clogging, drainage issues, and unpleasant sink odor. Avoid the mess and stress by feeding your garden instead of your garbage disposal!
Composting At Home
To start composting at home, all you need is a bin or large bucket that you’ll keep outside in a dry area. Make sure that it has a lid, or that you can easily cover the top of your compost bin – we recommend using a tarp.
And so the science of composting begins! Your ingredients should include:
Browns – hay, straw, leaves, branches, twigs, and small paper scraps
Greens – vegetable and fruit scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, and grass clippings
Water
You’ll want to add your ingredients in layers, and make sure you dampen them with water when you add more to your compost pile. For best results, turn it with a gardening tool every few weeks and make sure it gets up to at least three feet tall so everything heats up nice and even. You’ll know it’s ready to add to your garden when it looks crumbled, and resembles soil rather than scraps! This process can take up to two months or longer, so be patient.
Do you have your own compost pile? Tag us on social media and let us see your hard work!
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