Why you should compost! International Compost Awareness Week
International Compost Awareness Week is coming up next week, and I am SO excited.
Compost is awesome. So awesome that there's an entire week dedicated to it May 6th-12th 2018.
Compost is a perfect system. If you eat an apple, you can compost the core. The core will break down and turn into a nutrient rich soil that can be used to grow more apples.
It's the full circle of life and you play a really important part.
First, let's talk about why composting is so important. In fact, if you only ever take one piece of advice on this blog - please for the love of pizza, compost.
Organic matter in landfills account for 16% of all methane emissions in the US, and methane is 30% more powerful than CO2.
Organic matter can't break down in landfills because landfills aren't aerated properly. Instead of turning to a nutrient rich soil, organic matter is trapped in limbo releasing loads of methane.
What can I compost?
You can compost ANY organic matter. Yes, ANY organic matter. Here are a few examples.
- banana peels
- apple cores
- carrot tops
- bell pepper stems
- onion skins
- newspaper
- garlic skins
- avocado shells
- pistachio shells
- orange peels
- cotton
- linen
- silk
- hair
- nail clippings
- dust
- straw
- hay
- leaves
- grass
- cake
- pizza
- bones
- bread
- shredded paper
- napkins
- paper towels
- tissues
You get the idea - you can compost a lot of things. AND, did I mention you can compost your Pela case?
Yes, you can compost your phone case or you can send it back to us!
You can't compost anything synthetic like plastic, and you can't compost metal or glass.
Compost Options:
Thankfully there are a lot of compost options, and most of them are really easy.
I always say, it's much better to be bad at composting than not to compost at all.
Industrial Facilities: There are a lot of businesses that offer monthly composting services around $20-30. They'll give you a bucket to fill up. Once it's full, they'll pick it up and drop off a new one.
Waste Management: Check to see if your city offers a composting program. You might be able to arrange it through your current waste management company.
If your city doesn't offer an industrial facility, they might offer a subsidy on a backyard compost bin.
Community Garden: Community gardens have compost bins. See if you can join and drop off your food scraps. Check with each garden to see what materials they take.
Only certain things can be composted without an industrial, heated facility.
Farmers Market: Do you have a local farmers market? Most of the farmers compost! Chat with them, and they might be able to take your scraps back to the farm.
Backyard Tumbler: Tumble bins are very low maintenance. You throw in your food scraps, and then tumble the bin. It will take your scraps to soil in about 6 weeks.
Backyard Standing Bin: This is a bin that sits in your backyard. Throw in your scraps, water the compost, and turn with a shovel every week. It will take several months for your scraps to turn into soil.
Worm Bin: Vermicomposting is great for apartments. The worms really need to stay in between 40-90 degrees. Red wriggler worms will eat your food scraps, and you'll get a whole bunch of new pets.
You can buy a worm bin or you can make your own. Here's a great video tutorial.
Bokashi Bin: This bin takes everything that an industrial facility takes which is a huge benefit! Micro-organisms help to break everything down. Here's a full description.
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If you're looking for a compost drop-off location, check out this awesome guide from my friend Celia over at Litterless.
How do you compost? Tweet us @PelaCase