As most
of you know by now I am passionate about recycling, reducing waste and reduced consumption. Composting is a perfect example of waste
management and recycling.
A few
years ago the city of Boise decided to switch all curbside trash pickup to
designated bins. I was excited about
this because instead of a recycle bin the size of a laundry basket I could
order one the same size as the trash bin I was going to be assigned. That is exactly what I did.
What I
wasn’t excited about was the thought of all those trash cans that we had been
using heading for our city landfill. I
had four of my own to contribute if I chose to.
I kept mine and decided I’d find other uses for them.
The
first thing we did was turn one into a compost bin. I drilled five holes in the bottom for drainage
and several on the sides along the top for ventilation. We began throwing our food scraps, lawn
clippings, leaves, garden waste, dryer lint (yes, very compostable!), and all
approved items on the list.
After
one year we dumped it out on the ground and used the rich black part to amend
our flower beds and pots. What hadn’t
quite composted down completely, the stuff at the top went back in the can and
we started again.
This
year our can is full all the way to the top.
I shoveled out the top third into another can and the remainder will be
added to our new raised garden beds this year.
I think what excites me most is that composting really works just like
they say it does.
It
looks like over the next year we’ll have two compost bins going as we are adding more
yard waste to ours than we have in the past.
By next year we should end up with a full 32 gallons of compost to add
throughout our garden and bedding spaces.
There
are several types of compost bins available at home improvement stores and
online. Or you can do what I did and
make your own. You can also search
online for directions to build your own out of wood. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
I keep
a small compost collection bin lined with a plastic produce bag under my
kitchen sink to collect the kitchen waste.
When it is full, out it goes to the big bin in the backyard.
To get
started put a 2 inch layer of dirt in the bottom of your compost bin, add 4
inches of leaves and lawn clippings.
Pour in 1 gallon of water. Begin
adding additional organic items such as:
·
Coffee
grounds & filters, tea bags
·
Stale
cereal, crackers, pretzels, bread, pasta
·
Shredded
newspaper
·
Dryer
lint
·
Fruits
and vegetables, peelings
·
Egg
shells
·
Sawdust
·
Wood
ashes – make sure they are cold
·
Lawn
trimmings, leaves, pine needles
Every
couple of weeks add a little of water and use a shovel to toss and mix. If your compost is nice and moist don’t add
water. You don’t want a soggy mess, just
damp. Keep your compost loose so it can
breathe and do its thing.
It makes
me feel really good to know that I am giving back to the earth instead of
always taking from it. Do you compost or
have you ever thought of starting?
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