Learn the basics of composting, from choosing the right bin to understanding the ideal balance of materials. This article tackles common questions and provides practical tips for both apartment dwellers and those with yards, making composting accessible to everyone.
Welcome to Hotline Rewind, the weekly series where we gather up your questions from the week (and pepper in some from the Hotline archives) about a specific culinary topic. For years, I thought composting was a super complex process, reserved only for the most serious of home gardeners.
But, in truth, it is super accessible both for yard-havers and apartment-dwellers alike! If you’re looking to start hoarding your food scraps, a great place to start is our Q&A below:With lack of space being a pretty limiting factor, along with close living quarters, either with roommates or close neighbors, I love a countertop compost bin to collect fruit and veggie off-cuts. From there, you’ll need to find a municipal or community composting group in your area. They will handle the long term care/work. While you wait for drop-off day, you can simply collect your food scraps in an air-tight container in the freezer to avoid smells and pests. In theory, you could just let your waste sit in the bin, and eventually, all the scraps will decompose. However, this can be super smelly and take up to two years to break down properly. For more proactive composting, turn, mix, or stir the compost mixture every one to two weeks, and balance carbon-rich materials (leaves, wood chips) with nitrogen-rich (food scraps, fresh grass) ones. (Some bins even tumble, mixing everything up as you fill it.) Additionally, you could construct some holes or slats into the bottom of your static compost bin to ensure better airflow. More oxygen=more efficient decomposition.When it looks, smells, and feels like soil. It should be crumbly, have a rich brown color, and have an earthy odor. You shouldn’t be able to recognize any of the original material.Yes! First, you must boil the shells to sterilize them. This will kill any bacteria or pathogens that could be harmful to the plants you intend to grow in the compost. After boiling, crush them into small pieces. If composted properly, bivalve shells are a natural way to balance your soil's pH levels!In very small amounts, yes. Too much oil can create hydrophobic barriers which will reduce airflow and water levels, both of which are very important to composting. Instead I’d reuse things like fry oil until you cannot any longer, then research local options for recycling cooking oil.Products that are 100% paper (no gloss or coatings) are compostable. This eliminates cardboard that is fully dyed—think colored cereal boxes. Luckily, newspapers these days are made with non-toxic inks so they can be composted. Paper will take longer to fully break down compared to food scraps. However, shredding the paper will both speed up the process and let in more oxygen
COMPOSTING FOOD SCRAPS GARDEN SUSTAINABILITY RECYCLING
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