Composting helps the environment.
Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden, your plants, and the environment. It reduces your need for chemical fertilizers; it reduces water pollution from runoff caused by chemical fertilizers; it reduces the amount of greenhouse gases produced by landfills; and it helps you grow healthy plants.
Composting can seem complicated at first, but if you follow these steps, you’ll be well on your way to reducing waste in a sustainable way.
Composting saves you money.
Composting has been around for a long time, and for good reason. It can save you money on fertilizer and it’s good for the planet. It also adds valuable nutrients to your soil, making your garden healthier in the process.
What is compost? Compost is basically decomposed organic matter that’s rich in nutrients and can be used as a fertilizer or soil amendment to improve the health of your plants’ root systems and overall growth. With so many benefits, why wouldn’t you want to try composting?
Compost reduces your waste.
Composting is easy, reduces your waste, and helps you grow more food.
What goes into the compost? Compost is a mixture of organic material. Ideally this should be a combination of browns (dry materials that are high in carbon like leaves) and greens (wet materials that are high in nitrogen like grass clippings). I have found that it can also help to add some soil to make it easier for microorganisms to start breaking down the organic matter. You can use any kind of organic material from your yard or home; anything with a nutritional value for plants can be composted.
Label for this section: What Happens in the Composter Lab?
Perspective: 1st person (I/me) and 2nd person (you/your/yours)
What this section does: Gives an example of what goes on inside a composter lab
Talking points of this section:
- the compost at the University of British Columbia campus gets collected by UBC Farm and they do agroforestry research with it
Composting is good for your health.
Many people don’t realize the harmful side effects of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals can cause respiratory problems, skin rashes, immune deficiencies, cancer, and allergies. Composting is a way to reduce your exposure to these chemicals. In order to do so successfully, however, it’s important to understand how to compost effectively.
To begin with, you’ll need an outdoor space that has room for a pile of decomposing organic matter. It doesn’t have to be very big—a typical family-sized compost bin will hold enough material for one person’s needs in terms of small household scraps. It’s best if the spot has some natural shading or cover from trees or other buildings—this will help the decomposition process go faster by keeping out rain and reducing the temperature inside the compost bin (and prevent unwanted pests).
In addition to composting materials like fruit and vegetable scraps, you should also try adding soil from your backyard into your compost pile every few months. This will give added nutrients that help your plants grow bigger and stronger as well as further decompose any leftover food waste inside the pile. Finally, it’s important not to use any meat scraps in your compost pile—meat takes longer than other foods to break down because it contains so much protein—but dairy products like cheese are perfectly fine for adding into the mix!
Composting is easy to do.
The process of composting is simple enough that it can be accomplished by almost anyone. The first thing you need to do is get a composting bin and thermometer so that you know the temperature of your pile. You can buy these items at any local home improvement store or online, but make sure you buy the right size for your needs before you go shopping. A good rule of thumb is to purchase a bin that’s twice as large as what you think you’ll need. Don’t totally rely on this rule, though; because sometimes people underestimate how much they actually use, and then end up needing more space than they thought they would.
If you live in an apartment or other small living space, there are several ways to start composting without having to take up a lot of storage space:
- Keep all kitchen scraps in a plastic bag and throw them in the trash with every other day. It’s also important not to leave food scraps out for too long, since mold can form if the food starts decomposing outside the bin.
- If storing all your scraps won’t work for you (maybe because you’re traveling), make sure to compost everything organic! Just bring it outside after half an hour so that it doesn’t attract vermin, and bury it underground in an area where garden waste will take care of any pests present at the time (like mice).
- In most states, residential garbage pick ups are now banned altogether or limited only to certain neighborhoods—but this doesn’t mean there aren’t some things homeowners can still do without getting in trouble. It might seem like extra work when dealing with something like paper products, but if you get creative with your materials (like using newspaper instead), it will help contribute toward keeping things sustainable!
Follow these steps to make your compost bin successful.
“I have yet to compost successfully!”
Don’t worry. The first time we tried to compost was a downright disaster. We had a massive pile of everything that shouldn’t go in the bin, but somehow ended up there anyway. Even months later, it looked like I hadn’t cleaned my kitchen in years. Just keep trying, and you’ll be a seasoned pro in no time at all!
Label each bag with what should go into your compost bin (tea bags and coffee grounds, for example) and then keep them out of sight when you are throwing away your trash. We don’t mean to be grossed out by our garbage—we even love watching educational videos about how your food becomes worm food—but sometimes it’s better not to see where it is going!
Label each bag with what should go into your compost bin (tea bags and coffee grounds, for example) and then keep them out of sight when you are throwing away your trash. We don’t mean to be grossed out by our garbage—we even love watching educational videos about how your food becomes worm food—but sometimes it’s better not to see where it is going!
It’s easy to reduce waste, save money, and have healthier plants because of composting!
The benefits of composting are numerous, ranging from environmental to financial. Here are just five of the many:
- Helps you save money
- Keeps your garden healthy
- Benefits your community (and you) by reducing waste and using it to improve the soil in parks, gardens, and roadsides
- Gives you a sense of accomplishment when you see how much food waste you’re able to reduce from going into landfills
- Makes your plants healthier because they’ll be getting nutrients from your compost
Composting helps the environment.
Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden, your plants, and the environment. It reduces your need for chemical fertilizers; it reduces water pollution from runoff caused by chemical fertilizers; it reduces the amount of greenhouse gases produced by landfills; and it helps you grow healthy plants.
Composting can seem complicated at first, but if you follow these steps, you’ll be well on your way to reducing waste in a sustainable way.
Composting saves you money.
Composting has been around for a long time, and for good reason. It can save you money on fertilizer and it’s good for the planet. It also adds valuable nutrients to your soil, making your garden healthier in the process.
What is compost? Compost is basically decomposed organic matter that’s rich in nutrients and can be used as a fertilizer or soil amendment to improve the health of your plants’ root systems and overall growth. With so many benefits, why wouldn’t you want to try composting?
Compost reduces your waste.
Composting is easy, reduces your waste, and helps you grow more food.
What goes into the compost? Compost is a mixture of organic material. Ideally this should be a combination of browns (dry materials that are high in carbon like leaves) and greens (wet materials that are high in nitrogen like grass clippings). I have found that it can also help to add some soil to make it easier for microorganisms to start breaking down the organic matter. You can use any kind of organic material from your yard or home; anything with a nutritional value for plants can be composted.
Label for this section: What Happens in the Composter Lab?
Perspective: 1st person (I/me) and 2nd person (you/your/yours)
What this section does: Gives an example of what goes on inside a composter lab
Talking points of this section:
the compost at the University of British Columbia campus gets collected by UBC Farm and they do agroforestry research with it
Composting is good for your health.
Many people don’t realize the harmful side effects of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals can cause respiratory problems, skin rashes, immune deficiencies, cancer, and allergies. Composting is a way to reduce your exposure to these chemicals. In order to do so successfully, however, it’s important to understand how to compost effectively.
To begin with, you’ll need an outdoor space that has room for a pile of decomposing organic matter. It doesn’t have to be very big—a typical family-sized compost bin will hold enough material for one person’s needs in terms of small household scraps. It’s best if the spot has some natural shading or cover from trees or other buildings—this will help the decomposition process go faster by keeping out rain and reducing the temperature inside the compost bin (and prevent unwanted pests).
In addition to composting materials like fruit and vegetable scraps, you should also try adding soil from your backyard into your compost pile every few months. This will give added nutrients that help your plants grow bigger and stronger as well as further decompose any leftover food waste inside the pile. Finally, it’s important not to use any meat scraps in your compost pile—meat takes longer than other foods to break down because it contains so much protein—but dairy products like cheese are perfectly fine for adding into the mix!
Composting is easy to do.
The process of composting is simple enough that it can be accomplished by almost anyone. The first thing you need to do is get a composting bin and thermometer so that you know the temperature of your pile. You can buy these items at any local home improvement store or online, but make sure you buy the right size for your needs before you go shopping. A good rule of thumb is to purchase a bin that’s twice as large as what you think you’ll need. Don’t totally rely on this rule, though; because sometimes people underestimate how much they actually use, and then end up needing more space than they thought they would.
If you live in an apartment or other small living space, there are several ways to start composting without having to take up a lot of storage space:
Keep all kitchen scraps in a plastic bag and throw them in the trash with every other day. It’s also important not to leave food scraps out for too long, since mold can form if the food starts decomposing outside the bin.
If storing all your scraps won’t work for you (maybe because you’re traveling), make sure to compost everything organic! Just bring it outside after half an hour so that it doesn’t attract vermin, and bury it underground in an area where garden waste will take care of any pests present at the time (like mice).
In most states, residential garbage pick ups are now banned altogether or limited only to certain neighborhoods—but this doesn’t mean there aren’t some things homeowners can still do without getting in trouble. It might seem like extra work when dealing with something like paper products, but if you get creative with your materials (like using newspaper instead), it will help contribute toward keeping things sustainable!
Follow these steps to make your compost bin successful.
“I have yet to compost successfully!”
Don’t worry. The first time we tried to compost was a downright disaster. We had a massive pile of everything that shouldn’t go in the bin, but somehow ended up there anyway. Even months later, it looked like I hadn’t cleaned my kitchen in years. Just keep trying, and you’ll be a seasoned pro in no time at all!
Label each bag with what should go into your compost bin (tea bags and coffee grounds, for example) and then keep them out of sight when you are throwing away your trash. We don’t mean to be grossed out by our garbage—we even love watching educational videos about how your food becomes worm food—but sometimes it’s better not to see where it is going!
Label each bag with what should go into your compost bin (tea bags and coffee grounds, for example) and then keep them out of sight when you are throwing away your trash. We don’t mean to be grossed out by our garbage—we even love watching educational videos about how your food becomes worm food—but sometimes it’s better not to see where it is going!
It’s easy to reduce waste, save money, and have healthier plants because of composting!
The benefits of composting are numerous, ranging from environmental to financial. Here are just five of the many:
Helps you save money
Keeps your garden healthy
Benefits your community (and you) by reducing waste and using it to improve the soil in parks, gardens, and roadsides
Gives you a sense of accomplishment when you see how much food waste you’re able to reduce from going into landfills
Makes your plants healthier because they’ll be getting nutrients from your compost