Every year, a large amount of trash is produced that ends up in the landfills and the trash incinerator only to deteriorate the environment more by adding to pollution and global warming.
This system is not only costly but also severely damaging to the health and environment.
From choosing sustainable fashion to opting for eco-friendly alternatives like areca palm leaf plates, compostable bags, bamboo toothbrushes, etc, we’re undoubtedly switching to a healthier and ‘greener’ lifestyle.
But most of us do not know how to dump the fully-used product.
Very fortunately, the community has started turning its face towards a safer and eco-friendly alternative of dumping biodegradable waste i.e. composting.
Composting is the process of recycling organic waste into nourishing fertilizer that is super beneficial for the soil. It is a great replacement for harmful chemical fertilizers, and it also helps in boosting and sustaining quality food production as well.
If you still end up dumping organic items into your dustbin, you need to know how easy and essential composting is.
How does composting work?
You can consider composting as a faster and more creative version of decomposing. It is all about letting the organic matter degrade by creating an ideal environment for microorganisms like bacteria and fungi and other organisms like worms and nematodes to enter the compost site and have a feast.
The decomposed material hence obtained is your compost. It’s pretty much similar to your garden soil, but it’s extremely rich in nutrients and carries unlimited benefits for public health and the environment.
Using compost also helps in conserving water as it increases the water holding capacity of the soil without affecting the yield.
What do you need for composting?
There are three main requirements for composting if you’re doing it on a small scale (your backyard or your compost bin, for example).
Let’s have a look at all three of them.
- Nitrogen-rich material or ‘the greens’: Higher nitrogen content is observed in fresh organic materials like fresh grass clipping, food scraps, etc, and hence, these are also called ‘greens’. Having a good ratio of these ‘greens’ is necessary for microbial growth and reproduction which is crucial to obtain a good quality compost. It is known to activate and fasten the process of composting.
- Carbon-rich material or ‘the browns’: High carbon composition, which is found in brown plant materials like dead leaves, branches, twigs, etc (therefore called ‘browns’), acts as a food source for the microbes. Hence, items like dead leaves are very important to maintain a sufficient amount of carbon in your compost pile to keep these microbes alive during the process of composting.
- Oxygen and water: These decomposers need oxygen and water for their survival, and you need to make sure that they have enough of it for themselves when you’re composting your organic waste. No, they will not suffocate in its absence, and the process will still go on, but all this will happen at a very slow pace. To fasten it, the compost pit or the compost bin must have sufficient air and water flow.
(PS. You really need to take care of the ratio when mixing all these components for your compost pile. Ideally, the carbon to nitrogen ratio should be 2:1 that can be adjusted to 4:1 as well. Coming to air and water, organic wastes usually contain enough water for the decomposition to take place, but if your compost pile looks too dry, you can simply add water to compensate.)
How to do composting?
We’ll discuss the easiest method of composting here. Just gather the three main components mentioned above and get started.
- Choose a dry, shady area for your compost pile. You can also use compost bins, worm bins, and tumblers for this purpose. But a compost pile on bare earth is the most suitable thing to opt for as it provides good aeration for your compost.
- Make sure that your browns and greens do not have big pieces of organic material in them. In case they do, shred them into smaller ones before putting them into use. (Yes, you should shred Areca Palm Leaf Plates as well before you start composting them.)
- Start adding the compost materials in layers. Moisten the dried items before using them in the pit or bin.
- Add a layer of green wastes like grass clippings, green leaves, and even fruit and vegetable peels on top of it.
Skip fruit and vegetable waste if you are composting indoors to avoid attracting pests. You have to be careful because it really smells bad, and you don’t want that to happen. - Sprinkle water on the pile again.
- Cover it with wood, tarp, or sheets as it will help in retaining the heat and moisture.
(Optional: You can also give it a quick turn using a pitchfork or shovel every two or three weeks for aeration.)
This process can take anywhere around three months to two years depending on the size of your compost set-up.
The compost is ready when:
- The finished product has rich dark brown color
- It has an earthy smell
- It easily crumbles in the hand
- It is one-third of the original size
Cover the pile again if:
- Clumps of compost material are still visible
- The pile is warm
- It gives off a sour odor
After your compost is ready, you can mix it with your garden beds or add it to already potted plants to improve soil health and productivity.
Opting for an eco-friendly alternative alone doesn’t make you a green warrior. Sticking to it and handling it well is necessary as well.