One of my earliest memories is of shucking corn at the compost pile in my backyard in rural Connecticut.
Later on, at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass.
Composting is as local as it gets.
Ive been doing it my whole life.
Compost collection is happening in cities and towns across the country, and at an impressive rate.
Why compost?
Think about that having to be picked up and taken to a landfill or incinerator.
It doesnt make sense to burn something thats wet.
By composting youre avoiding that avenue of managing materials.
Its helpful to think of composting organic materials as another form of recycling.
Stop thinking of it as garbage and think of it as a resource.
Use it to green up the community.
Healthy soil can better withstand droughts and floods, Bilsens said.
Biologically diverse soil can pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it.
Its a pretty exciting aspect of the work.
According to ILSR research, soil with compost added can filter out urban stormwater pollutants by 60-95 percent.
According to the EPA,landfills are the third largest source of methane emission in the United States.
How does it work?
In time, all organic matter will break down, or decompose.
So just how does it happen?
Morales explains: Composting is an aerobic process, it must have oxygen in it.
When food goes to a landfill its just thrown there.
It creates acids and methane.
But we can avoid that by putting oxygen into the mix.
When we compost, we ensure the food scraps have air.
The microorganisms that like air are beneficial, and that makes nutrients more soluble.
You want to keep about a 2:1 greens to browns ratio for the most efficient break down.
If youre constantly adding stuff in, youre just resetting that every time you add something, said Morales.
What can be composted?
Heres ahandy reference guide.
(I double-bag my compost and store it in the the fridge because my freezer is too full.)
The freezing part also helps keep you from getting it all over everything.
Morales recommends atumblerfor small gardens and backyards in urban areas.
Other options includecompost bins and cans.
Just remember you will need to aerate the compost with any bin, can or tumbler every 2-3 days.
Some composters use pitchforks or shovels while others use acompost crank.
As long as youre turning the materials and getting air into the mixture, any tool will work.
Additionally, you better consider rodents if your compost pile is outside.
Rats like to burrow underneath compost piles for heat, Morales explained.
You have to turn more frequently to destroy habitats for rats and to add more air, he said.
I actually feel if its a 1-2 person household the worm bin would be fun.
Its not that hard, and its inside, said DeDominicis.
Benevolent neglect probably gets the best results.
You want to create an area thats covering over the actively working material thats breaking down, she said.
For more on vermicomposting, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a helpfulhow-to guide.
Next, look into community gardens or local farms to see if they accept donated scraps for composting.
The sitefindacomposter.com, which was created by BioCycle magazine, is also a good resource.
Collect your scraps and drop them off at a collection site once a week.
Thats easy enough, and it will make a difference.
