Co-Owner · June 25, 2020
We shared what foods to avoid putting down your garbage disposal, but don't worry. We won't leave you holding 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 is good for your garden, good for the environment, and easier on 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.)
It's also good for your garbage disposal. A disposal can handle a lot, but some food scraps need to go somewhere else, or you'll end up with clogs, drainage problems, and a stinky sink. Skip the mess and feed your garden instead.
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. Here's what goes in:
Browns: hay, straw, leaves, branches, twigs, and small paper scraps
Greens: vegetable and fruit scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, and grass clippings
Water
Add your ingredients in layers, and dampen them with water each time you add more. For the best results, turn the pile with a garden tool every few weeks and let it build up to at least three feet tall so everything heats up nice and even. It's ready for the garden when it's crumbly and looks like soil instead of scraps. That can take two months or longer, so be patient.
Got your own compost pile? Tag us on social media and show us your hard work!