Think about the times you reach out to the back of the fridge and toss out stale food in the bin. You probably remember how it feels but the effect of food wastage is more than just that particular feeling of guilt. It also has a serious impact on the environment. Composting food waste promotes a zero-waste lifestyle and is a sustainable method for maintaining healthy plants. It lessens burden on the landfill and cuts down on methane emissions.
Composting is a natural process of recycling organic matter enriching the soil which is then used as a fertilizer for plants. During composting, microbes break down the organic waste, converting it into a rich humus with inorganic nutrients. It does not require a backyard; even small kitchen gardens and balconies would do. Reducing your carbon impact is more important now than ever as food wastage contributes significantly to carbon emissions.
HOW TO MAKE COMPOST ?
There are different methods for composting. Cold composting is left to do its own thing and takes more time to form while hot composting requires a lot of attention and effort by turning the pile often which makes it a faster process. Hot composting also requires a specific ratio of materials for the mix which we will be discussing further in this article.
1. Pick your scraps
The first step to composting is keeping your materials ready. You can install separate containers to collect what you will require for composting.
- Things you CAN add to your compost: Kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, teabags, rice and grains, shredded paper, flowers, any cooked food without oil, meat and dairy.
- Things you CANNOT add to your compost: Meat and fish, bones, dairy, oils and butter, any cooked food with oil, meat and dairy.
2. Get the right ratio
You will require “greens” for nitrogen, “browns” for carbon, air and water for your hot compost. Getting the right balance of greens to browns (1:2) is essential to get the microbes to do their job. Make sure the materials are chopped or shredded into fine pieces.
- Nitrogen-rich green ingredients: Food scraps, eggshells, grass, coffee grounds
- Carbon-rich brown ingredients: Paper, sawdust, straw, small twigs
- Air: Turn the compost every few days
- Water: Add water to the compost during dry months. In wet months, protect the compost from rainwater.
3. Put them together
Take an earthen pot or any large bucket and drill 4-5 holes at different levels for aeration. Layering is not necessary for the hot compost method but you can begin with a layer of dried leaves and soil, add the other ingredients in the middle and cover it with another level of brown material. This is to avoid odour and keep pests away from food scraps. Mix and add your ingredients with little water. You can also add healthy garden soil.
4. Turn it
Compost temperature should be around 130-145°F for the microbes to do their job. You can check the temperature by using a soil thermometer or by simply sticking your hand in it. When the temperature drops and the mix starts to feel cool, it’s time to turn the pile. Sprinkle some water in case you find it dry. The microbes require water to live and multiply. You need to repeat this step until your compost is ready.
Generally, compost is ready when it turns into a dry, dark brown mix that crumbles in your hands easily. It also smells like earth and no longer gives off heat. Your compost can take a few weeks to be ready, depending on multiple factors such as precipitation and other environmental conditions. You can consider the compost ready even if you still find twigs in your compost. However, if the food contents are still visible or the compost has large lumps or is still warm, it means that the process is still incomplete.
According to the Food Waste Index Report 2021 (UNEP), India generated around 931 million tonnes of food waste in 2019, of which 61% came from households. Reducing food wastage is an important step to take control of climate change. Incorporating practices such as composting in our homes can go a long way for our planet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Moisture is essential. You need to make sure the compost is not too wet or too dry at all stages. If it is dry, you can add some water. If it is too wet, you can flip the compost and add shredded paper or carbon-rich ingredients.
- The compost should never give a foul smell. It should smell earthy. Too much greens can make your compost wet which will cause it to smell. This can be fixed by adding more brown materials.
- You can store your compost indefinitely but it eventually loses its nutrients. You can use some ready compost for the next round of composting to kickstart the process too.
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Written by, Angelica Cardoza
