By now, even if you don’t practice composting, you know what it is and how it works. Compost itself is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30% of what we throw away, and could be composted instead, according to the EPA. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
All composting requires three basic ingredients:
- Browns – Materials such as dead leaves, branches and twigs
- Greens – Materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps and coffee grounds
- Water – Having the right amount of water, greens and browns is important for compost development
The EPA says your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter. There is a helpful list of what to compost and what not to compost on the EPA’s website.
The end result of composting, obviously, is a homemade fertilizer for your lawn, your garden or even for selling as a little side hustle. While nature takes care of a lot of the basics, it’s not a “set it and forget it” process. You have to turn things and monitor temperatures and keep pests away. Or…you can check out this great video on “The Art of Lazy Composting.”
On the other end of the spectrum, if you want to dig a little deeper (pun intended?), the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers Advanced Composting as a two-hour virtual class.
The good news is that if you’re interested in starting to compost, it’s like running – it doesn’t require a ton of gear, just a few things and a desire to make things better. Running is good for your mind and your body; composting is good for your body and the planet.
