1. Composting is the natural breakdown of organic material by insects, earthworms, bacteria and fungi into a soil-like material called compost.
2. Composting is a natural form of recycling.
3. Yard and food wastes make up approximately 30% of the waste stream in Canada and the United States
4. Studies have shown that home composting can divert an average of 700 lbs. of material per household per year from the waste stream which saves energy to transport the materials, saves space in land fills, and creates useful fertilizer…
5. Composting has been part of many cultures since ancient times.
6. Compost added to gardens improves soil structure, texture, aeration, and water retention. When mixed with compost, clay soils are lightened, and sandy soils retain water better. Mixing compost with soil also contributes to erosion control, soil fertility, proper pH balance, and healthy root development in plants.
7. The standard means of municipal disposal for most yard and food waste include landfilling and incineration. These practices are not environmentally or economically reasonable. Yard waste which is landfilled breaks down very slowly due to the lack of oxygen and produces methane gas and acidic leachate which are both environmental problems. Incinerating moist organic waste is inefficient and results in poor combustion, which disrupts the energy generation of the facility and increases the pollutants that need to be removed by the pollution-control devices. Composting these wastes is a more effective and usually less expensive means of managing organic wastes. It can be done successfully on either a large or small scale, but the technique and equipment used differ.
8. OUTDOOR COMPOSTING: An outdoor compost pile should be created by chopping, shredding or mowing 30 parts of leaves with one part of fresh cut grass, manure, or bone meal. The bacteria and fungi in compost digest or “oxidize” carbon as an energy source and ingest nitrogen for protein synthesis. Carbon is the “food” and nitrogen the “digestive enzymes”. The decomposition occurring in the compost pile takes up all the available oxygen and efficient decomposition can only occur if sufficient oxygen is present, which is called aerobic decomposition. Composting systems or structures should incorporate adequate ventilation. Turning the compost pile with a shovel or pitch is a good way of adding oxygen, bringing newly added material into contact with microbe, and eliminates odors which are symptomatic of anaerobic decomposition. Microorganisms need 40 to 60 percent moisture content in the compost pile, which is the moisture level of a well well wrung out sponge. A compost pile with temperatures between 90 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit is composting efficiently.
9. INDOOR COMPOSTING: Composting kitchen organic waste using worms is the easiest way to recycle food wastes and is ideal for people who do not have an outdoor compost pile. Composting with worms avoids the needless disposal of vegetative food wastes and enjoy the benefits of a high quality compost. Redworms, (Eisenia foetida), thrive indoors at a temperature of 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and can be kept at home, at school, or in the office. As with outdoor composting, it is best to avoid putting bones, meats, fish, or oily fats in the worm box as they emit odors and may attract mice and rats. When cared for properly, worms process food quickly and transform food wastes into nutrient-rich “castings. Which are an excellent fertilizer for gardens or potted plants.
Red worms are placed in a box or bin filled with shredded cardboard and/or paper moistened to about 75% water content. The container should be large enough to allow food scraps to be buried in a different places each time. A sudden addition of a large amount of food waste may attract fruit flies, so increases should be made gradually. In a healthy box, worms can build large populations and consume four to six pounds of food scraps per week. About four to six months after the box has been started, the worms will have converted all of the bedding and most of the food waste into “castings” which will need to be harvested so the process can begin again.
