(Originally published for ZeroMe Sustainability)
According to Feeding America, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted annually in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away. Food waste contributes to a growing world hunger problem and equates to 170 million metric tonnes of CO2 creation, which is equal to the carbon emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants.
As with many sustainable solutions, the primary remediation for this problem is to produce less, use less, and waste less. While this food loss doesn’t just happen where the remnants of your plate meet the garbage can, as it happens in every part of the food production cycle, it accounts for 39% of total food waste.
So What Can We Do About Food Waste?
Most early civilizations practiced some form of composting, usually for agricultural use, where it was renewed into nutrient-rich fertilizers. Today composting can offer the same benefits while also keeping food out of landfills where it produces the potent greenhouse gas methane.
In modern times, you don’t need to own a pair of overalls to tackle food waste. Upcycling food scraps can be easier than you think. A compost station can also provide an invaluable learning tool about waste, the cyclical food system, and even worm biology for your whole family.
Composting Made Easy
Composting can be done on any scale, from an industrial facility that handles hospitality waste to the terrace of your apartment. We create regular food waste through non-edible items such as banana peels and egg shells. In addition, non-food items like paper packaging and coffee grounds can be essential elements of the degradation process.
Here are the basics to start composting.
Choose A Place
You’ll need to choose a place in your yard or a receptacle that can seal to prevent unwanted visitors from getting in.
Layer Up
Compost starts with a dry layer on the bottom which can be soil, detritus like leaves and twigs, or even shredded paper. This dry layer also adds a nitrogen element to the mix, a crucial aid to the enzymatic action in your compost. Other significant sources of nitrogen can be found in coffee grounds and grass clippings, all things we toss without thinking when they are actually composting gold!
Next up is the wet layer, which comes from your typical daily food waste. What can we toss in the wet layer?
Fruits
Vegetables
Eggshells
Rice
Grains
Flowers
Cooked Food
Some food waste can become rancid in compost. What are compost sins?
Meat
Fish
Dairy
Cooked food in oil
Bones
The following steps are easy, alternate both “wet” and “dry” layers like a “compost lasagna,” and you will have started your journey as a modern-day compost farmer. When you look around, you will find that both the “dry layer” and “wet layer” components are readily available in daily life.
Get Ready To Rotate
Lastly, you’ll need to toss the “compost lasagna” to aerate it weekly.
A healthy compost has several essential components: organic matter, moisture, bacteria, and oxygen. The latter is a crucial part of fueling the breakdown of the organic matter. Rotating your compost is akin to keeping a fire going where the microbes need a breath of fresh air regularly to fuel their hard work.
How Long Does It Take?
The biodegradable clock for a compost bin entirely depends on the balance of nutrients, bacteria, moisture, oxygen, and temperature. The latter depends on your local climate and the location of the bin and is likely the most significant determinant of when you will reach total breakdown, which could be 30-120 days depending on all the factors.
A good rule of thumb is to go with your nose. Compost typically doesn’t have a strong smell. However, if your compost starts to smell like a trash bin, then it likely needs more aeration or rotation to bring oxygen back to the mix and power up the microbes.
A good compost smells woody and earthy, feels fluffy, and is dark brown in color.
What Can I Do With My Compost?
Compost is a great addition to your new garden, as topsoil for existing plants, as a gift for a fellow gardening neighbor, or as a donation to a local community garden.
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