25% of our trash is food waste and/or compostable materials.
That is a pretty significant chunk. In this post I will be telling ya'll the benefits of composting and how to do it!
Climate Change
When food scraps and paper products degrade in a landfill they degrade anaerobically (without oxygen) which produces methane gas (CH4) (a greenhouse gas). Methane has 23-71 times greater heat trapping capabilities than carbon dioxide (CO2)...
This means that landfills are the largest direct human source of methane.
This methane then pollutes groundwater, and adds to the greenhouse effect.
Going zero waste is the fastest and easiest strategy to alleviate climate change.
Compost
Compost is decomposed organic material such as leaves, paper products, grass clippings, and kitchen waste (egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc).
Compost can often be used as fertilizer because it replaces trace minerals and organic material, reduces soil erosion, helps control weeds, and helps prevent storm water runoff.
How-to Compost @ Home
Composting involves 3 ingredients:
Browns: dead leaves, branches, twigs = Carbon
Greens: grass clippings, fruit/vegetable waste, coffee grounds = Nitrogen
Water = Moisture
What NOT to compost: black walnut tree leaves/twigs, coal/charcoal, dairy products, eggs, diseased/insect-ridden plants, fats/oils, meat/fish bones/scraps (leads to flies and smell), pet waste, chemical pesticides.
Backyard
dry/shady spot near a water source
chop/shred large pieces
moisten dry materials as added
optional: tarp to keep moist
Indoor
special bin from local hardware or garden store
keep track of what you throw in
well managed (rotate and mix up materials) = no smell
ready in 2-5 weeks