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As someone whoscookingpretty much all the time, Ive come to see leftover food scraps as my arch-nemesis.
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Learning how to compost seemed like a natural solution to my problem.
But he also notes that composting cant just be a whimit has to be a commitment.
That doesnt mean that composting as a whole has to be difficult, though.
With the right setup, the process can be almost entirely hands-off.
And once you get used to sorting your food scraps, itll be like you neverdidntdo it.
Spoiler alert: They all agree theres really not much to it!
What is composting?
Doing it can help you greatly reduce the amount offood wasteyou send to a landfill.
How do I start composting?
Heres one of the greatest things about composting: There are several different ways to give it a whirl.
Read on for more about each option.
But now that many composting services are on hold during thepandemic, you may not have this option.
If youre in an urban space, community gardens are a great place to deposit compost, she says.
Some buildings even have their own garden space on the roof and will collect the soil.
Then there are the logistics of actually composting using a community service.
If youre big oncoffee, for instance, sprinkle your leftover grounds over your plants.
it’s possible for you to also crumble up leftover eggshells and sprinkle them in the soil.
Dont take it too far and fill all your planters with scraps, though.
Okay, buckle up for this one.
The only downside to this seemingly perfect alternative is that, funnily enough, the worms are picky.
Worms dont like garlic and onion scraps, and citrus is not recommended, Platt explains.
They also don’t have a ton of capacity for waste.
They feed on the surface amount in the bin, so the amount they can process is limited.
Its basically a trash can in a trash can, he says.
What you need are two plastic containers, one smaller than the other.
If you dont want to make a bin, you’re free to buy one.
These two below are good options if you have a small outdoor space.
Both are well-ventilated and protected enough to prevent pest invasions.
Voila, it’s possible for you to start adding your food scraps!
So its up to you and your needs to personalize how exactly you decide to go about this.
(Yup, it can take a while.)
Full eggs are a no-no, but eggshells are okay (and are an excellent source of calcium).
The same goes for shellfish like mussels and clamsuse the shells, ditch the meat.
Thats why it’s crucial that you add dry carbon sourcesalso known as brownsthroughout the process.
With the right balance of browns, your compost will basically break down all by itself, he says.
In general, wait to turn your compost until your container is mostly full.
