What Is It and Why Should We Partake?

by Zelda Speight

If you’re like me, living in a tiny apartment with limited to no green space, trying your darnedest to be a more sustainable human, but not knowing where to begin. Welcome to your beginner’s guide to composting. 

First off, let’s level-set on why composting is important. The EPA reported that “Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 28 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead.” This 28 percent sits in a landfill, gets trapped underneath other trash where it can’t receive oxygen (critical for the decomposing bit), and instead of breaking down, it releases methane gas -- a harmful greenhouse gas. According to a report released by the Environment America Research and Policy Center, “Landfills are the nation’s third-largest source of methane emissions, emitting 108 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2017.” 

Modern waste management systems (e.g. landfills) are environmental tragedies. In addition to the greenhouse gases released from trapped materials, the incineration process creates toxic ash waste and releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When you compost, you’re reducing the amount of food waste that goes to landfills. Compost emits zero methane when managed properly, which creates a healthier environment, soil, and plant production.  

What is composting?

Composting is collected organic matter, like food scraps and yard clippings, with added water and sunshine that eventually decomposes into a soil-like substance. Healthy compost contains equal parts of alternating brown matter (e.g. dead leaves, twigs), green matter (vegetable and fruit scraps), and water. The brown matter provides carbon for your compost, while the green provides nitrogen. Water provides the moisture needed to break it down and makes it the healthiest compost it can be. The resulting product is a nutrient-dense soil for plants to flourish in. 

Since soil is a living thing, compost provides the nutrients needed to enrich the soil. This leads to healthier plants, encourages good bacteria growth, and very importantly, reduces landfill methane emissions. Whether you are bolstering your perennial garden or embarking on a container garden full of vegetables, your compost is nature’s way of recycling.

To get started, here’s a list of what goes into a compost pile:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Eggshells

• Coffee grounds and filters

• Non-plastic tea bags

• Nut shells

• Shredded newspaper

• Soiled cardboard (e.g. pizza boxes)

• Paper

• Yard trimmings

• Grass clippings

• Non-diseased houseplants

• Hay and straw

• Leaves

• Sawdust

• Wood chips

• Cotton and wool rags

• Hair and fur

• Fireplace ashes

Do you have to be a serious gardener or farmer to compost? Absolutely not. Anyone can and should compost as a part of their day-to-day household maintenance. Instead of throwing things in the trash, throw it in a compost bin!

There are two main options for composting--outdoor and indoor:

Outdoor Composting

The most traditional place to compost is outdoors. When setting up your compost area, make sure that it’s away from your home and near a water source, e.g. a garden hose. This will distance potential smell from your home and make watering the compost easier. 

When the compostable items are collected, alternate the brown and green matter in the pile or bin, dampen the pile with water, and let it do its thing. Adding a tarp on top of the matter will keep the moisture in, preventing it from drying out. 

You should turn your compost once a week with a pitchfork or other comparable tool. This will mix it up, break the matter down, and aerate the entire mixture. Do this for four to six months until the mixture is a dark, rich color. 

Once this has been achieved, your compost is ready to be added to your garden. The amount of compost that is added to your garden entirely depends on what you’re trying to grow. For annual flower beds or vegetable gardens. Begin adding two inches of compost to soil in the Spring before planting seeds/seedlings. Mix the compost into the soil about six to eight inches deep so that it’s mixed in well but can still access the future roots of the plant. 

Note: Unfinished compost is harmful to most plants because the decomposing materials release too much nitrogen. It is imperative to ensure that your compost has matured for four to six months before adding to any soil. 

For perennial gardens, shrubs, and trees, you’ll need to add one inch of compost to your soil once a year then cover it in two inches of mulch. The combination of compost and mulch protects the soil from above while nourishing the plant roots from below.

Indoor Composting 

Even if you don’t have land at your disposal you can still compost. There are numerous phenomenal indoor bins that are effective for collecting organic matter that will be added to compost piles. 

You can store these bins in the refrigerator, the freezer to ensure no smells, or on your counter--they require little space! 

If you don’t have an outdoor space to create your personal compost pile, you can donate your collected matter to numerous organizations, community gardens, and farmer’s markets that are in your area. I grew up composting in my backyard but now that I live in Atlanta and Houston, I take my collected food scraps to my community garden or donate to my neighborhood school’s Farm to School program. If neither of these options are appealing, there are organizations like CompostNow that will pick up your collected matter from your home for a small subscription-based fee.

Voila! Now you are a beginner composter. That’s really all it takes to improve your sustainability game. Once you get in the swing of composting, it’ll seem as routine as taking out the trash and recycling--easy peasy!