Feature Photo by Gabi Miranda on Unsplash
After having recently talked extensively about food waste and easy ways we can cut this down at home, I’d like to focus your attention on what happens to the rubbish you can’t avoid. If you aren’t already, this is why you should consider composting it!
WHAT IS COMPOSTING?
Composting is nature’s way of recycling organic materials, like food scraps and garden waste, into nutrient-rich soil. It’s a wonderful process that turns your kitchen and garden waste into a dark, crumbly substance called compost, which is like gold for your plants! It’s like giving back to the Earth while creating a beautiful cycle of sustainability.
Imagine taking those banana peels, coffee grounds and leaves that you might normally throw away, and transforming them into a powerful soil amendment. Composting allows these materials to break down naturally, with the help of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. As they decompose, they release valuable nutrients and beneficial microorganisms that nourish the soil and help plants grow. It’s like a mini ecosystem in your backgarden or even indoors!
Not only does composting help to improve soil structure, retain moisture, and promote healthier plant growth, but also reduces the amount of waste going to landfills which reduces the amount of methane emissions seeping into our air (methane is a greenhouse gas that heavily contributes to climate change). It’s a win-win situation for both the environment and your garden.
WHY COMPOST?
Compost is organic matter that has broken down through the process of being exposed to air and water and creates a soil-like mixture that’s full of nutrients and is great for gardening, farming, landscaping and potting plants. All in all, compost is an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fertilizers and a fantastic way to reduce waste.
There are two primary methods of composting: Commercial Composting and Garden Composting, but in recent years other ways of composting have also become more common – Vermicomposting and Bokashi Composting, which are methods that you can use at home and are well-suited for those with limited outdoor space or who live in apartments.
While commercial composting involves collecting approved compostable items and sending them to an external facility or organisation for composting; garden composting involves individuals collecting compostable materials in their own gardens, monitoring the composting process, and using the resulting nutrient-rich compost in their gardens and for in-door plants.
COMMERCIAL COMPOSTING
Commercial composting is a larger-scale process where organic materials are composted on a larger, industrial level. It’s an efficient and effective way to manage large volumes of organic waste and turn it into valuable compost. Commercial composting facilities receive organic waste from various sources, such as restaurants, grocery stores, food processing plants and councils. These facilities are designed to handle significant quantities of organic materials, often through specialized equipment and controlled composting systems. Here’s a glimpse into how commercial composting generally works:
Collection and Sorting
Organic waste is collected and transported to the composting facility. At the facility, the waste is sorted to remove any non-compostable items like plastics or metals. This ensures that only organic materials suitable for composting are used.
Preprocessing
Depending on the facility and the materials received, preprocessing may occur. This step involves shredding or grinding the organic waste to break it down into smaller pieces. This helps speed up the composting process by increasing the surface area and facilitating microbial activity.
Composting Piles or Windrows
The processed organic waste is formed into large composting piles or windrows. These piles are carefully constructed to optimize airflow, moisture levels, and microbial activity. Turning or aerating the piles periodically is crucial to maintain proper decomposition and ensure uniform composting.
Temperature and Moisture Control
Commercial composting facilities closely monitor the temperature and moisture levels within the compost piles. Microorganisms responsible for decomposition work best within specific temperature ranges. Adjustments may be made by adding water or turning the piles to maintain optimal conditions.
Decomposition and Maturation
Over time, the organic materials in the piles break down through microbial action. The piles undergo a series of decomposition stages, where temperatures rise and then gradually cool. This process kills pathogens and weed seeds, ensuring the final compost is safe to use.
Curing and Screening
Once the composting process is complete, the compost is allowed to cure or mature. During this period, which can last several months, the compost stabilises, and any remaining organic matter breaks down further. Afterwards, the compost is screened to remove any larger particles or contaminants, resulting in a fine, high-quality product.
Distribution and Use
The finished compost is ready for distribution and use. It can be sold to landscapers, garden centres and farmers, or used for various agricultural and landscaping purposes. This nutrient-rich compost helps improve soil fertility, water retention, and overall plant health.
Commercial composting plays a vital role in diverting large amounts of organic waste from landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and producing valuable soil amendments. It’s a sustainable solution that benefits both the environment and industries that rely on healthy soils.
Composting services are not as widely available as traditional recycling programs, but there are a few ways to find them. Firstly, you can check with your local waste management facility to see if composting services are available in your area but keep in mind that there may be a cost associated with this service. You can also look for composting services at your local farmers’ market or nearby schools. Wherever you’re based, you can start by performing a quick online search by typing “composting services near me” to find what businesses and organisations provide compost pick-ups and drop-offs near you.
GARDEN COMPOSTING
Garden composting is the traditional method of composting in a dedicated area of your garden and is a great way to recycle your kitchen and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost from the comfort of your own home. It’s like having your own little natural recycling centre in your garden! I’ve got a rundown ready for you of how composting works and how you can get the process started in your own home.
Choose a Composting Method
First, you’ll need to decide on a composting method that suits your space and needs. You can opt for a compost bin, which can be purchased or built, or you can create a simple compost pile directly on the ground.
Collect Organic Materials
Gather your organic materials for composting. These can include kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and garden waste such as leaves, grass clippings, fruit fallen from trees and small pruning’s. Avoid adding meat, dairy products, or oily materials as they can attract pests or introduce pathogens.
Layering
Start by adding a layer of “browns” or carbon-rich materials, such as dried leaves or shredded paper, at the bottom of your compost bin or pile. This helps create airflow and prevents odours. Then, layer on your “greens” or nitrogen-rich materials like kitchen scraps. Alternate between browns and greens, making sure to keep the pile balanced.
Moisture and Aeration
It’s important to keep your compost pile moist but not waterlogged. If it feels dry, sprinkle some water to maintain a damp sponge-like consistency. To ensure proper decomposition, occasionally turn or aerate the pile with a pitchfork or compost turner. This helps provide oxygen to the microorganisms and speeds up the process.
Time and Patience
Composting is a natural process that takes time. Depending on various factors like the materials used, temperature, and aeration, composting can take anywhere from a few months to a year or more. Be patient and let nature do its thing.
Monitoring
Keep an eye on your compost pile. It should feel warm, indicating that decomposition is happening. If it smells bad or attracts pests, it might be too wet or lack proper aeration. Adjust moisture levels and turn the pile to resolve these issues.
Harvesting the Compost
After several months, you’ll notice that your compost has transformed into a dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling soil-like substance. At this stage, you can start using your compost in your garden beds, potted plants, or as a top dressing to improve soil health.
Remember, garden composting is a flexible and forgiving process. As you gain experience, you’ll develop your own rhythm and learn what works best for your specific situation.
Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting is a process of composting organic waste materials using worms, specifically species like redworms (Eisenia fetida) or red wigglers. It is an efficient and eco-friendly method that harnesses the digestive power of these worms to break down organic matter into nutrient-rich compost known as vermicompost or worm castings.
Vermicompost, compared to traditional compost is better because of its higher nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content, and its ability to improve soil structure and increase its water holding capacity, however, its cost is higher, so it’s not ideal for making large quantities.
Properly made vermicompost has a slight, natural smell, but is perfectly suitable for indoor use.
Here’s how the process generally works:
Setting up a Worm Bin
Start by choosing a suitable container for the vermicomposting system, such as a wooden or plastic bin with a lid, or a “stacked” version with adequate drainage holes and ventilation. A tight-fitting lid isn’t necessary as worms don’t generally try to flee the bins, and tight-fitting lids cut off ventilation. Ensure it has some sort of cover however, both to shut out light and to keep moisture in.
Bins with layered trays make harvesting the finished compost very easy; this is the primary advantage they offer over most home-made bins and other bins. Simple bins made of wood or plastic can be quite simple to make. It’s important that the material be opaque as worms do not like light. The worm bins can also be used outdoors if they are protected from extremes of heat and cold.
Bedding Material
Create a bedding layer at the bottom of the bin using materials like shredded newspaper, cardboard, coconut coir, or aged leaves. Moisten the bedding material to achieve a damp, but not soggy, consistency.
Adding Worms
Introduce the worms to the bin. Redworms are commonly used as they are efficient decomposers and thrive in organic waste environments.
Adding Organic Waste
Add organic waste materials to the bin regularly. Suitable materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, crushed eggshells, garden trimmings, and shredded paper. Avoid meat, dairy, oily foods, and large pieces of wood or branches, as they can attract pests or take longer to break down.
For optimal composting, provide a balanced diet to the worms. Mix nitrogen-rich (green) and carbon-rich (brown) materials in appropriate proportions. Greens include fresh kitchen scraps, while browns encompass dry leaves, shredded paper, and cardboard.
Maintaining the System
Ensure the bedding remains moist by periodically misting it with water. The moisture level should be similar to a damp sponge. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to anaerobic conditions.
Covering the Waste
After adding fresh waste, cover it with a layer of bedding material to prevent odour and fruit flies. The worms will gradually consume the organic matter and convert it into vermicompost.
Harvesting Vermicompost
Over time, the worms will break down the organic waste, leaving behind vermicompost. When most of the waste has been transformed, you can separate the worms from the compost. There are several methods, such as creating feeding zones to attract the worms or manually separating them. The vermicompost can then be used as a nutrient-rich soil compost in gardens or for potted plants.
Bokashi Composting
Bokashi is a Japanese method that relies on fermentation to break down organic waste. It is useful for those who want to compost a wider range of materials, including meat, dairy, and cooked foods, and if you live in a flat or are renting and don’t have the garden space, a bokashi composting bin, available to buy online in the UK, is a perfect solution, as you can use it either outside or inside to help control any odours that might arise when composting.
These bins are airtight and typically come with a spigot at the bottom to drain excess liquid, known as “Bokashi tea” which can then be diluted with water and used as a liquid fertiliser for your plants.
This type of composting system uses anaerobic fermentation to break down food waste instead of traditional aerobic composting methods and relies on the use of Bokashi bran to break down waste, which is a mixture of beneficial microorganisms, usually in the form of wheat bran or rice husks infused with lactobacillus bacteria. Just sprinkle a handful of Bokashi bran over the food scraps. The bran acts as a carrier for the beneficial microorganisms, which will help ferment the waste.
Unlike garden composting, bokashi composting only takes around two weeks, which is why it makes the perfect choice for any flat shares or renters out there. You can take it with you anywhere you move to next.
WHAT CAN YOU COMPOST AT HOME?
Anything naturally derived, whether in the original form of a plant or animal, can technically be ‘recycled’ through the use of a home compost bin. It’s highly recommended not to compost any meat, fish and dairy products at home only because this might attract pests, but you can do so with a bokashi bin. Aside from the usual kitchen and garden scraps, there are a few other things you can compost at home that you might not know about!
Fabrics
Clothing made entirely from natural fibres like cotton, silk, hemp, and wool can be recycled at home. Of course, only do so when these fabrics have reached a point where they can’t be used anymore but it’s important to note that we can only compost fabrics and materials made of 100% natural fibres.
Wine cork stoppers
Cork is a natural material derived from the bark of the cork oak tree and since cork is all-natural, it can be composted. However, when composting cork wine stoppers, it’s important to cut them up into smaller pieces so that they break down more easily in the compost bin. Beware of plastic cork stoppers that mimic the real thing but are not biodegradable. The best way to differentiate real cork from plastic is by examining the texture and colour when cutting it. Real cork won’t have a uniform colour and will feel similar to wood.
HAIR & Nail CLIPPINGS
Strange as it may seem, nails and hair are completely organic materials.
Whether it’s hair from your hair brush or pet hair, these can go into the compost bin. Throw nails into the compost bin as and when you’re giving yourself a manicure.
Tea leaves and tea bags
Tea leaves and tea bags (preferably without staples or strings) can be composted, just avoid tea bags that are made of synthetic materials.
Coffee grounds (& Paper COFFEE FILTERS)
Coffee grounds are also great for composting since they add significant amounts of nitrogen, a key component of healthy soil. Some people worry that coffee’s high acidity could make their soil too acidic to grow some types of plants, however some common plants – notably tomato plants – thrive in slightly acidic soil. After brewing, leftover coffee grounds have a much lower acidity than they did previously.
There’s still a debate about composting coffee filters, but if your coffee filters are made of paper, they are technically compostable too, however, some coffee filters contain small amounts of plastic used to bind the paper fibres together, and other concerns are that most of the white coffee filters used today are bleached and may have been treated with synthetic chemicals as well as bleach.
If you are looking for a more organic and strictly chemical-free option for your compost, you will need to look for coffee filters that are unbleached.
alcoholic beverages
Adding stale or leftover wine or beer can also be great for your compost pile; some claim that wine acts as a compost “starter,” spurring on the bacteria in the compost to get busy, whilst others say that the yeast in wine gives a boost to the decomposition of organic materials, especially wood-based products. It is also claimed that, when you put wine in compost, the nitrogen in the wine may also help in breaking down carbon-based materials – the same is said to be true for beer, and beer-making waste products, however this needs to be a balance as too much alcohol added to your compost could actually kill the bacteria inside.
Nutshells & Eggshells
Crushed eggshells, walnut shells, almond shells and other similar nutshells can be composted. However, keep in mind that they take longer to break down.
Seeds
Composting seeds, even from stone fruits, is also possible as long as you can ensure proper composting, which raises the temperatures enough to destroy these seeds and stones. It takes a little longer to decompose, but as long as you avoid overloading your bin, this is absolutely doable from the comfort of your own home too.
Compostable packaging
This type of packaging is produced from various plant-based substances such as corn starch, wood pulp and palm leaf. Although there is still an ongoing debate around the degree of environmental-friendliness of compostable packaging, it is generally agreed that it breaks down effectively under the right composting conditions.
Pencil shavings
Despite common misconceptions, pencils are no longer made using lead. In fact, lead was phased out of pencil production in the 1950s and completely banned in the United States by 1978. Instead, pencil “lead” is actually made of graphite, a form of carbon. As a result, pencil shavings can be safely added to your compost bin.
wood ashes
When cleaning out your fireplaces and fire pits, the wood ashes can be composted. Even ashes from your outdoor grilling can be composted-as long as they are not charcoal ashes.
By composting these materials, you’re diverting waste from landfills and creating nutrient-rich compost to nourish your plants and soil. So, grab a compost bin, or make a simple pile in your yard if you’re opting for commercial composting. Toss in your kitchen scraps, mix it up with some leaves or grass clippings, and let the composting party begin! Before you know it, you’ll have this magical soil booster ready to nourish your garden and make you feel like an eco-superhero.
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