"Lettuce" Begin: Food Scraps and the Wonderful World of Household Composting

As promised in my introductory blog post, this week I explore the topic of food waste and what you can do to help reduce the amount of food waste you generate.

Food waste is perhaps one of the more nuanced waste sources I will cover here because it has wide-reaching and complex environmental, social, and economic ramifications. On an environmental level (the primary lens through which we will view the issue), a lot of energy and resources go into producing, transporting, and preparing the food we eat—and the food we throw away. Additionally, a whopping 94% of the food we throw away ends up in landfills, according to the EPA. By taking a more conscious approach to food purchasing, preparation, storage, and disposal, we can reduce the amount of food waste we generate as individuals or households. In this week’s blog I focus on the process of disposing of food waste, and what can be done to re-use / recycle the food waste we generate.

I chose to focus on the disposal aspect of food waste because I have harbored a longstanding curiosity about composting and a desire to start a compost of my own at home. However, given the transience of my former lifestyle in AmeriCorps, I have not previously had the opportunity to create a compost.

If you’re reading this and thinking: Heck no. I will not be starting a compost pile of my own (whether it be for reasons of practical restrictions, time restraints, or a complete disinterest in taking on such a project), consider finding someone who is willing to collect or receive your compostable materials. This could be a neighbor who composts, a community compost drop-off site, or a compost pick-up service. You may even want to contact your local waste service provider and see if they have or plan to develop the infrastructure for curbside compost pick-up.

You can search for facilities near you here:

http://www.findacomposter.com/

That being said, I do have the space, the time, and the desire to start a household compost of my own—and that’s precisely what I did.

It all started as I whipped up a delicious breakfast one morning consisting of a yogurt parfait and two fried eggs. As I chopped the tops off of strawberries, peeled the banana, and cracked the egg shells, I felt utterly dismayed at shuttling such items directly into the trash, when I knew that they could be put to better use.

As mentioned in my first blog post, I am currently living back home with my parents. But, environmental radical that I am, with minimal discussion prior to starting this endeavor, I acquired a five-gallon bucket with a lid, and thus began our household compost.

I subsequently informed my parents that we would be composting (they were tentatively on board), and began my research into DIY compost bins. Starting the collection prior to having a compost receptacle proved to be a great impetus, as I knew I had to have something ready to go before we filled that five-gallon bucket.

My search began on my county’s waste management website, where I found a useful PDF detailing six DIY compost construction plans as well as a link to additional design ideas. I encourage you to take a look at the plans here: Build Your Own Bin

And, of course, a simple internet search of “DIY composters” will also yield a multitude of resources.

I ultimately settled on a DIY trash can tumbler. The design was simple enough—a large trash can and lid with holes drilled into the sides and bottoms for aeration and drainage. However, as I disclosed my plans to my parents, they became concerned that I would someday leave home and they would be left to roll an unwieldy trash can around on the ground every two weeks.

Their concerns were admittedly valid, and after some discussion, I found myself with the financial backing to purchase a standup tumbler system online. My parents wanted something that was pest-proof (we live in the woods—again, see first blog) and easy to use. With these criteria in mind and a generous budget of $100, I ultimately ended up ordering a tumbler from online home furnishings retailer Hayneedle. I decided on the well-reviewed, $80 “Forest City Yimby Compost Tumbler with Two Chambers.”

You can check it out here: Forest City Tumbling Composter

This model was touted as being great for beginners, but difficult to assemble. Luckily, when the tumbler arrived in the mail, I had my dad to help with the assembly. If you find yourself without the aid of a seasoned-assembler, I suggest watching the following YouTube tutorial, as it proved quite useful as a supplement to the near-useless assembly instructions included with the tumbler: Tumbler Assembly

With the tumbler assembled, I proudly carried it outside to a relatively sunny spot in my yard (sun assists in speeding up the decomposition process) beside our family’s wood pile. As I dumped in the half-full bucket of food scraps we had accumulated since first beginning to collect nearly a week prior and tossed in a couple handfuls of leaves and a shovel full of soil starter, I felt immensely satisfied.

In this way, composting provides a tangible measure of the amount of waste being diverted from landfills and re-purposed into nutrient-rich compost.

And, when it comes to food waste, the potential for waste diversion is vast.
In the United States, on average, consumers produce nearly one pound of food waste per person per day, according to a 2018 USDA study. The majority of the food being wasted (39%), the study found, consists of fruits and vegetables.

While the first mode of action I recommend is to reduce the amount of food being wasted through such actions as taking appropriate portions of food, storing food and leftovers properly, and planning your food shopping strategically to avoid buying more than you can use before it spoils; inevitably we will produce waste. Whether this is from unwanted food, food that has gone bad, or inedible food waste byproducts such as banana peels and eggshells, the majority of this food waste can and should be diverted from landfills. In other words, don’t throw your food scraps in the trash—compost them instead!

Composting—the process of converting organic material (such as food scraps and yard debris) into nutrient-rich soil conditioner known as compost through decomposition—is an ancient practice. As chronicled by Aaron Sidder in his National Geographic article “The Green, Brown, and Beautiful Story of Compost,” the practice dates back as far as the Stone Age 12,000 years ago where archaeological evidence suggests Scots in the British Isles plowed and seeded compost piles to improve their small-scale farms.

In recent years, Sidder asserts, the practice of composting has increased as people look to reduce waste and embrace ideals of sustainability.

The benefits of compost are vast and varied, but for simplicity’s sake, there are two main benefits of composting:

   1. It diverts methane-producing organic materials from landfills

   2. It yields a nutrient-rich soil conditioner that can be used in gardens, potted plants, and mulching

If you have never composted before, I encourage you to give it a try!

Based on my experience, here is what I would recommend:
1. Do what you can to avoid creating food waste to begin with.
         TIPS: Reducing Food Waste; 

                    The Truth Behind"Use-by" Dates
2. Spend some time researching the option that best fits your wants/needs: curbside compost, drop off, interior compost bin, exterior compost bin, DIY, purchased, etc…

3. Construct / obtain a compost bin and collection receptacle, such as my tumbler and five-gallon bucket.
4. Collect food waste and organic materials to add to your compost.
        Since starting to compost at home, I have found that the majority of our compost consists of used coffee grounds, banana peels, egg shells, tea bags, and rotten fruit/veggies.
5. Be willing to learn as you go. It’s totally fine not to know what should / should not go into your compost at first.
        -As a general rule, avoid meat, dairy, and fish (as these may overheat your compost and generate an odor that attracts animals)
        - maintain a 3:1 greens to browns ratio
>greens = vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds/tea bags, plant trimmings, egg shells
 >browns = leaves, pine needles, straw/hay, sawdust, dryer lint
The ratio ensures the proper balance of carbon and nitrogen in your pile, but ultimately the compost will still do its thing even if your ratios are inexact or improvised. I’ve more or less been tossing in two to three handfuls of leaves each time I add in about 2.5 gallons of compost “greens” collected in my kitchen, and things seem to be going well so far!!

For more information on what to put in your compost and what to avoid, see here:
   What you can and cannot compost

6. Add an initial scoop of soil or compost starter to introduce microbes to your compost that will speed up the decomposition process.
7. Turn/rotate/tumble at least every two weeks (or as instructed in the design / product specifications of your chosen compost receptacle).
    -add water and turn more frequently to introduce more oxygen as needed
8. Wait for the decomposition process to run its course. Finished, high-quality compost should look like rich, dark soil and smell like earthy dirt.
9. Apply to gardens, add to potted plants, use as mulch, and know that you have helped reuse waste and reduce your impact in your steps toward greener living.

I can honestly say that I have quite enjoyed my compost adventure. Although a relative novice, I have learned a lot from the process of starting my own household compost and I hope you all found this post to be informative. If you have further questions or end up starting a compost of your own, please let me know in the comments below!

Next week, I will be covering what I’m calling the “tissue issue” as I venture into the wild world of handkerchiefs in my quest to no longer use single-use, disposable tissues. Stay tuned to find out how things go…

   -Sam