It’s a real pain to have to take the trash out. It’s messy, it smells, and it contributes to landfills. However, there is one way to reduce your garbage production drastically, that will also almost completely eliminate the problems that come with garbage: Composting!
Why is composting so great?
Composting turns food scraps into a wonderful fertilizer you can use in a garden or a pot. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S dumps about 133 billion pounds of food per year into landfills, which is about one third of the amount of food produced annually! This food waste can be drastically reduced with more composting, because it creates a natural outlet for wasted food to go, and takes as little as 3-4 weeks to decompose compared to food waste in landfills that can take up to six months.
How do I compost?
You can purchase a small inexpensive compost bin for your kitchen or if you have a couple of square feet outdoors, you can create a box outside! Some cities, such as Boulder, CO and Brooklyn, NY have free city-wide composting programs for all residents. But you don't need an organized program to compost in your home. For more info on how to get started, check out this link.
Step One: Choose a compost bin & place to put it
There are many different bins you can use to make your compost. Outside bins can be made out of plastic or wood, or you can purchase a ready-made one in a variety of different sizes and shapes. If you don't have space outside, you can buy a kitchen composter that sits right on your counter. Either way, just make sure to put it in a space that is easily accessible.
Step Two: Add the correct materials
You want to add an even amount of “green” and “brown” materials, to ensure the process runs smoothly. Green materials include: vegetable and fruits, grass, coffee grounds, weeds and hedge trimmings. Brown materials include: Leaves, hay, straw, paper, cardboard, egg shells, and teabags.
Then what?
Keep putting your food and plant waste into the compost bin. It can take anywhere from four weeks to a year to change over to dirt, depending on factors like what you put in, the temperature, and how much mixing you do. Once it turns, you can use your new dirt in potted plants, outdoor gardens, tree beds, or you can even put it in the garbage - it will be smaller volume and less smelly than rotting food would have been.
There are two ways to enter:
1. Comment below and tell us: Does composting seem like a possibility for you and your family? Or if you already compost, what are some tips or strategies that make it easy for you?
2. Tweet about the giveaway: “Entered the #SheSpeaksCompost Giveaway to win an in-home composting bin, thx to @SheSpeaksUp! bit.ly/2jEZUAQ"
*One lucky commenter or Tweeter will be chosen at random to receive a Full Circle Kitchen Composter. Giveaway is open through October 8th, 2017 to U.S. residents at least 18 years of age. Entrants must be a member of SheSpeaks. If you are not a member, click here to join. Winner will be notified by email.
We love composting. Nothing goes to waste! Hope we are the lucky winners.... we ❤️ Composting.. so good for mother nature... and we have the fanciest dirt, happiest goats, and chickens!
I never didi it but I would love to know more .
I do coffee grounds and egg shells. I don't really have a place for it. But if I got this. I would.
My mom composts and we may want to try too!
We don't compost, but I would like for us to. We live in the city, so gardening and composting is a bit hard. I hope to eventually move to a bigger house with more space to do so
Composting is definitely a possibility for me and my family as it is already something we do. I hate to waste things and always try to reuse and recycle. If I know it is good for the earth it goes in to the compost bin. Especially coffee grounds! Worms love those.
I want to compost because our yard has poor soil and I do compost through my garbage company but want to compost myself.
I think composting would work in my family. We are moving to a 2.5 acre lot with lots of room for projects!
yes i would love to compost and use it in my flower and vegetable beds.
Would love to win a full kitchen composter. Tried doing a compost pile on my own, hurricane Irmas down pour washed it away. #SheSpeaksCompostGiveaway #SheSpeaksUp
I havent started composting full yet. I do however use eggshells and coffee grinds in my garden. Thats a start right!?
We do not compost. But I feel like my fily of 7 could and should !
We make composting easy by leaving a bowl on our kitchen counter so we can easily toss our produce scraps and eggshells in it. Then at the end of the day we take it outside and toss it in the compost pile. We keep the fruit flies down (which is a result of leaving your compost bowl on the counter) by always having a small jar of apple cider vinegar with a little dish soap in it. Every year we add our compost to our vegetable garden.
Composting is a definite possibility for my family. I'm going to do more research.
I don't like to put food in the trash so it goes outside. I throw potato peelings, banana peelings, oranges, etc., anything with a throwaway peeling outside. I've been using one certain spot and have been thinking about planting something there.