Blogs » Sami_G » Compost Modernism

When compared to shiny solar panels, or space-age plug in hybrids, compost is perhaps not the sexiest aspect of sustainability. However, if we are to do something about the ever-growing mountains of waste that our consumer society churns out, then composting must surely play a lead role. In fact, some estimates suggest as much as 60% of our household waste is organic matter that could be composted. But why is it such a big deal?

Aside from the issue of diminishing landfill space, cutting out organic materials from the waste stream also helps reduce global warming. When vegetable peelings, garden waste, and even paper and cardboard are placed in landfill, they decompose anaerobically, creating methane. However, when such materials are composted, they break down in the presence of oxygen, producing CO2 and water instead of methane (methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2). Of course, composting also has the added benefit of creating, surprisingly enough, compost that can be used to improve soil and grow healthier plants – and if you use that compost to grow your own local, organic food then you cut your footprint even further.

Yet while the benefits of composting are clear, many people are intimidated by the process. They are often concerned about rats, or bad smells, or they are worried that it would take too much time or effort. Largely, such concerns are baseless. Composting, when done properly, doesn’t smell bad, and as long as you avoid cooked foods, especially meat, rats should not be too much of a problem. And the amount of work involved depends on how intensively you compost. While you can spend a lot of time regularly turning the heap to aerate it and help it rot quicker, you can also simply pile up the various materials and let it rot.

One of the most important things to remember, however you compost, is to ensure that you include a good mix of ‘greens’ and ‘browns’ – greens are soft, nitrogen-rich materials like vegetable trimmings, lawn clippings etc, whereas browns are woodier, carbon-rich materials like wood chippings, straw and even crumpled up newspapers or cardboard. Ideally you should ensure a higher percentage of browns than greens (the perfect ration is 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, but there is no need to be that specific). The carbon-rich wastes rots slower than nitrogen-based materials and thereby maintains air pockets. The goal is to avoid a wet, airless heap as this will result in anaerobic decomposition, methane and bad smells. I recently moved house, and composted all of the cardboard and newspaper used to wrap our belongings up - I'm looking forward to a bumper harvest of crumbly black goodness next year.

Ultimately the main thing to remember is that the process is pretty simple. As the bumper sticker says, compost happens…


Keywords: compost yeard waste gardening recycling

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