How to Start Composting

One of my earliest memories is clearing corn from a compost heap in a rural Connecticut backyard. Just like boiling corn, spreading sweet butter on it and eating, just like peeling and removing silk is deeply rooted in my being. We are all taught from an early age that in order to get what we want, we have to work on it, and that was true, even when it came to corn on the cob.

Later, at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, I collected compost from my enclosure on campus and brought it to the college farm, where it was processed and then used to fertilize the soil in which the vegetables I later ate. Today, I dump compost once a week in a convenient location near my subway station in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. It is cultivated on a local urban farm in Red Hook and then used to plant trees and garden beds nearby and at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.

Composting is as local as possible. I’ve been doing this all my life. It’s simple. It is important. And today, with the future of the planet at stake , there is no reason why you shouldn’t do that either.

Compost collection is taking place in many cities across the country, and at an impressive rate. A 2017 report from the District of Columbia Institute for Local Self-Sufficiency (ILSR) found that roadside collection of organic materials in homes has more than doubled in the previous three years, and that waste collection points serve an estimated 6.7 million households in country. …

If this is your first foray into composting, or if you live in an area where compost collection has not yet become the standard, here’s what you need to know to get started.

Why compost?

Sometimes referred to by its advocates as “food waste recycling,” composting at its most basic level removes unused organic material from the waste stream. This reduces the volume of waste sent to landfills and reduces the transport of waste from homes and businesses to waste disposal facilities.

“Food waste and other organic materials are the heaviest, wettest and stinkiest part of our trash,” explained Linda Bilsens, Composting Community Project Manager, ILSR Project. “Think about what you need to pick up and send to a landfill or incinerator. There is no point in burning something wet. By composting, you avoid this way of managing materials. “

It is helpful to consider composting organic materials as another form of recycling. When food waste – which includes everything from banana peels to eggshells and coffee grounds – is composted, it actually breaks down and turns into black gold, or a highly nutritious substance, which can then be used to improve soil health.

Composting advocates also like to emphasize that recycling food waste means that organic matter and its potential benefits remain local, restoring local soils and reducing the transportation of goods by refuse trucks. “Composting is a way to conserve resources in the community,” said Domingo Morales, manager of the organic recovery program at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens in New York. “Stop thinking of it as trash and think of it as a resource. Dispose of anything. Reduce greenhouse gases. Use it to green your community. “

And at a time when climate change is widely thought of, composting can indeed help combat some of its effects. “Healthy soil can better withstand droughts and floods,” Bielsens said. “Biologically diverse soil can extract and store carbon from the atmosphere. It’s a pretty exciting aspect of the job. “

Composted soil can filter urban storm water pollutants by 60 to 95 percent, according to an ILSR study.

In addition, Morales said that the removal of organic matter from the landfill can also reduce methane emissions into the atmosphere, thereby reducing one of the main factors causing global warming. Landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions in the United States, according to the EPA .

How it works?

Over time, all organic matter will break down or decompose. But composting is an active process by which people reward this disorder in order to get something in return: bio-diverse and nutrient-rich compost, which can then be used as organic fertilizer, as discussed above.

So how does this happen? Morales explains: “Composting is an aerobic process in which oxygen must be present. When food ends up in a landfill, it is simply thrown there. It creates acids and methane. But we can avoid this by adding oxygen to the mixture. When we compost, we make sure there is air in the food debris. Microorganisms that like air are good, and this makes the nutrients more soluble. “

Whether you are composting at home yourself or composting at a higher level, in the enterprise, farm or garden, the process remains the same. The pile needs both greens (nitrogen-rich materials) and brown (carbon-rich materials) and must be turned or moved every 2-3 days to allow air to enter the mixture. Greens are food scraps, grass and other items with high levels of moisture, while brown ones are usually dry leaves or scraps, brown paper bags, paper towels and napkins or newspapers (make sure the paper is black and white and not glossy) … want a green to brown ratio of about 2: 1 for the most efficient chopping.

This process can take months or more, depending on how much material you are working with and how often you add extra greens or browns to the compost. “If you keep adding something, you just reset it every time you add something,” Morales said. “Ripening takes a long time, but if there is no food in it, it can be used.”

Large scale factories can process materials much faster because the more waste you process, the hotter the pile gets, resulting in faster degradation.

What can be composted?

Generally speaking, all organic matter can be compostable, from paper products to vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and even animal protein, but each compost location may have different rules. Here’s a handy reference guide.

In New York, compost is processed at such a rate that meat can be included in the city’s waste collection program, but meat is not accepted at most drop-off points at farmers’ markets. Before collecting, check with your local pickup or return location for specific requirements and policies.

How to store compost

If you collect trash in your home or apartment, most experts recommend storing materials in a reusable plastic container and keeping it in the freezer until you are ready to throw it away.

You can also store the compost in the refrigerator, but since it contains a lot of water, be careful not to spill it. (I pack the compost in two bags and keep it in the refrigerator because the freezer is full.)

“I would advise people to freeze it until they’re ready to accept it — try to time your return,” said Marisa DeDominisis, executive director of Earth Matter NY, a composting group that specializes in education. “The freezing part also helps keep you out of it.”

There are also bins that have been designed specifically for composting. They stay on your desk or can be stored under the sink, and have tight lids to contain odors and keep out pests. Bag liners can be used when you don’t want to empty bins (although you might not want to add more plastic to your waste stream), and to easily move compost from home to drop-off.

How to make compost at home

While cities like New York, San Francisco, and Seattle (which are a must in the last two) are stepping up initiatives to collect compost from sidewalks, and smaller municipalities are adding drop-off sites and other options, those with rear yards or land, there is another option available to them. : compost at home, not just collect waste and throw it away.

There are several different types of vessels you can use, depending on how much space you have and how much material you want to compost. Morales recommends the glass for small gardens and home gardens in urban settings. It stands above the ground and is completely covered to keep out rodents, and there is a handle on the side that rotates and adds air to the compost.

Other options include compost bins and cans . Just remember that you will need to aerate the compost with any container, jar or glass every 2-3 days. Some composters use a pitchfork or shovel, while others use a compost crank . As long as you are flipping the materials and filling the mixture with air, any tool will do.

Pro tip: Chopping or cutting organic materials into smaller pieces will speed up the composting process, allowing the elements to decompose more evenly.

Also, you need to consider rodents if your compost heap is outside. A small trash can in your backyard may not collapse fast enough to scare off rats, especially if there is animal protein in the bin. To prevent potential rat problems, be sure to maintain a green to brown ratio, flip frequently, and account for a fully closed container including the bottom. Morales explained that rats love to dig under compost heaps to keep warm. “You need to turn more often to destroy the rat habitat and add more air,” he said.

For urban composters without open space, or those looking to take a more hands-on approach, there is vermicomposting or composting with worms. “I really feel like if it’s a family of 1-2 people then the worm bin would be fun. It’s not that difficult, and everything is inside, ”said DeDominisis. “Benevolent disregard probably produces the best results.”

You will need a plastic container with ventilation holes, and it should be large enough to hold a pound of red worms, and a storage space that should be neither too hot nor too cold – optimally between 50 and 80 degrees. According to DeDominicis, the worms will eat your leftovers, but be sure to have a “biofilter” or top layer of shredded newspaper. “You want to create an area that covers the eroding active material,” she said.

For more information on vermicomposting, there is a helpful guide at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens .

How to find composting equipment near you

There are several different ways to get information on how to compost in your city or town. First, find out if the municipality offers to recycle any organic materials by contacting parks or sanitation departments. Then, check out community gardens or local farms to see if they accept the donated waste for composting.

The findacomposter.com by BioCycle magazine is also a good resource.

The process of converting organic materials into fertile soil, aka composting, takes time, but every little role a person can play matters. And while some of us may be thrilled at the prospect of keeping worms in our apartment, others will be disgusted with the idea. This is fine! Collect your scraps and return them to the collection point once a week. It’s simple enough and it will make a difference.

And if you end up falling in love with it, there are many opportunities for budding composers to become masters in the art. Groups like Earth Matter and The Institute for Local Self-Reliance run information sessions, trainings, and more for composters – you might even be the one to bring compost to your community.