Whether you participate in a composting program at your business or school, or have your own composting pile at home, there are some things you should know that can help to maximize the usefulness and efficiency of your compost. Last post, I talked about what compost is and why you should do it, as well as about how to start your own composting pile at your home. In this post, we will discuss some specific ways you can organize your compost, as well as how you can start your own composting campaign at your school or business.
Effective Home Composting
So, while we discussed how you can create a home composting pile in the last post, there are more aspects of it that I did not get to discuss that could help in creating a more effective composting pile depending on the environment around you. First, there are a few different types of compost piles that you can use. These are:
"Normal" Composting
This is the composting that most consider to be "normal". Also known as "Add-as-you-go composting", this type of composting involves what was talked about in my last post: piling a mixture of green plant-based waste and brown waste (leaves) to create a simple pile that decomposes slowly.
The Green Cone Composter
This is a very unique form of composting, and requires a specific piece of equipment/storage. This equipment is called the green cone, and, as the name states, is simply a green cone. It creates a secure area for composting that prevents rats or bugs from infesting your compost pile. Normally, you couldn't use meats in a compost pile, but because of this cone's sealed design, it allows you to compost as many meats as you want. Additionally, because their are no air holes in the design, it allows heat to build up, which is supposed to allow the compost to decompose quicker. If you would like to purchase a green cone, you can go here.
Soil Incorporation
Soil incorporation is essentially burying any food waste you may have. Usually only more experienced gardeners use this method, however if you cannot use any of the other methods of composting this is a great way to effectively recycle food waste. On the other hand, there are a few limits: first, this is not allowed in all municipals, so make sure to check with yours first before you use this method. Second, you cannot bury meats, as this will attract bugs and rats. However, limits aside, if you want to start a garden, this is a great way to give your soil more nutrients and ensure that it is successful.
Raised-Bed Garden Integration
This form of composting is very similar to soil incorporation, however with one key difference. Instead of burying food waste directly into the ground, you bury it into a raised garden bed. It essentially uses the same process and has the same effects, and can be great for growing plants!
Worm Composting
Worm composting, also known as vermicomposting, is a very interesting way that you can compost if you have space limitations or want to create quicker compost. Essentially, this type of composting uses worms with food waste. When new waste is added, the worms help to decompose it into soil. What is nice about this is it can be done in a plastic bin, as long as that plastic bin is not made out of a type of plastic that is harmful (you can find that out here). It is said that this type of composting is faster than may other types, and also may help prevent plant diseases due to the different types of helpful microorganisms it can provide.
Starting a Composting Program at Your School or Business
If you can't compost at your home for whatever reason, whether it be space or if your municipality does not allow compost piles, there is still a way you can participate in composting. Creating a composting program at your school or business is a great way to ensure everyone there does their part, and there are a few different ways you can manage this compost.
Local Composting
Creating a locally run composting pile, or what I like to call local composting, is when a small group of people, in a work space or even a neighborhood, collaborate to make one large compost pile in one household. Essentially, if there are a few people who cannot compost in their homes, making a group out of a few of these people and a few people who can make composting piles will make sure everyone has access to composting. What you can do at a work space is create a designated bin for food waste. When the week is over, or when the bucket is full, one of the people who has a composting pile can bring it home and compost it. If money is required to manage the pile, or build an enclosure around it, everyone can chip in and help out. However, this does not always work with a larger group of people.
Company Composting
If you have an an exceptionally large group that does not have access to home composting, than company composting is likely the best option for you. Essentially, company composting is when you gather a large group of food waste from lots of people, and pay another company to take it and compost it on their property. This ensures that the compost will be done effectively, and it is much easier than creating a local composting system. The only downside to this is that you must make sure what is being taken away is purely compostable material, otherwise the whole batch will not be composted. Black Earth Compost, a company that operates within the state of Massachusetts, offers easy ways for companies to dispose of their food waste in a manner that is beneficial for the environment. These companies can also offer educational programs for kids and pick up compost from schools.
Conclusion
So, no matter your situation, there will nearly always be a way that you can compost effectively. Whether it be within the confines of your own home, or within a well thought out system, composting is an easy way to put nutrients back where they belong. If we all work to compost whatever we can, it can really help to not only make our environment healthier, but to ensure that we are the stewards of the earth we are called to be. Thanks for reading!
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
https://greencone.wordpress.com/how-can-i-get-one/
http://blackearthcompost.com/commercial/
http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com/foodscraps.html
http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/green-food/8-ways-to-compost-and-which-one-you-
should-try/page/4/#slide-top
Images:
http://dallascityhall.com/departments/sanitation/Pages/composting.aspx
http://www.wecompostit.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/imageemama/compost-pile/
https://glenbrookzerowaste.wordpress.com/2010/04/07/what-can-go-in-a-green-cone/
http://www.klickitatcounty.org/462/Soil-Incorporation
http://www.backyardecosystem.com/vermicomposting/
https://www.wakeforestnc.gov/compostbins.aspx
http://www.blackearthhauler.com/
https://www.washtenawcd.org/composting.html
https://www.pinterest.com/msmense/girl-scouts-~-sow-what-journey/
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