FOOD WASTE
Food Waste is an enormous source of waste in the world. Here are some statistics on Food Waste:
Roughly 1/3 of all food produced worldwide for humans is wasted.
In the US and Canada roughly 40% of food waste is thrown away by consumers.
Food waste has a HUGE carbon food footprint equal to 3.3 billion tons of carbon.
Less than 1/4 of the accumulated food waste from US | UK | Canada could feed the world’s one billion people fighting hunger.
COMPOSTING
Composting is a simple lifestyle shift that can help divert a lot of compostable products from the landfill. With the different composting approaches available there seems to be something to fit every lifestyle. The difficult reality is that tossing a compostable item in the trash prevents it from breaking down because it is trapped under other materials. In essence a compostable item becomes trash at the landfill….further contributing to the massive amount of garbage on earth.
If composting is limited due to space some people freeze their kitchen scraps and then take them to a location that accepts compost.
Another unique avenue for apartment living is worm composting - these hard working little animals do all the hard work with no mess, no smell, and leave you what gardeners call “black gold” - worm castings, a wonderful fertilizer.
There seems to be a type of composting for even the laziest individuals, scroll through the options below to see how you can go green with composting!
If composting is not your thing maybe try investing in a counter top compost bin and take the kitchen scraps to the curbside green waste container or food scrape service (if available through your local waste management company).
If you are looking for another reason to adopt a plant based diet look no further, composting can be used for all plant based items.
Here is a some great overview articles on composting:
6 Ways to Make Great Compost | Fine Gardening | Lynn Bement
Tips & Tricks Composting | Plant Natural Research Center
Composting Formula - The winning combination for composting. 2:1 ratio of greens to browns.
Greens = Nitrogen | Browns = Carbon
Browns:
Straw
Dried Leaves
Egg shells
Sawdust (untreated wood)
Tea Bags
Paper & Cardboard
Greens:
Vegetable scraps
Grassclippings
Plants
Plant cuttings
Coffee grounds
Seaweed
Manure from: horses, cows, chickens, rabbits, sheep, goats, bats
Good to Compost for your home Composting Pile
Coffee Grounds (worms love them)
Shredded paper (newspaper or white paper)
Seaweed (a nutrient rich source for your compost if you have access to it)
Not good to Compost for your home Composting Pile (recycling agencies may be able to accommodate more types of waste)
Plants and yard waste that has been exposed to pesticides or herbicides
Pet Waste
Fats
Fish & Meat Scraps
Citrus peals (keep to a minimum)
Onions
Sawdust from treated wood
Paper or cardboard with a plastic coating
Produce stickers
Coal or Charcoal Briquet ash -this is too acidic and not good for plants (for future usable compost)
TYPES OF COMPOSTING
THE DO NOTHING COMPOSTING APPROACH
This composting can appeal to most. If you have a small plot of land you can build a simple compost container or purchase a composter and with little effort you can become greener overnight.
Compost for the lazy: throw it on the ground | Zero-Waste Chef
WORM COMPOSTING
This is a really neat way to compost and you can even compost indoors with worm composting containers.
Worm Composting | Home Composting Made Easy
Worm Composting 101 | E. Vinje | Planet Natural Research Center
HEAT COMPOSTING
This is one of the fastest forms of composting but requires a bit more of hands on involvement.
Heat Composting vs Cold Composting | Lynn Bement | Fine Gardening
DIG A HOLE OR TRENCH COMPOSTING
If you have the space and the desire you can also compost by disposing of your kitchen scraps in a hole or trench.
Why You Should Compost in Trenches | Colleen Vanderlinden | The Spruce | November 26th, 2018
TOOLS FOR COMPOSTING & REDUCING WASTE
Compostable Trash Bags - Compostable bags come in all sizes and help reduce the amount of plastic that remains for decades in the landfills.
Countertop Compost Can - The stainless steel is nice to disinfect and keep clean.
RESOURCES
Check with your local county or city environmental department, public works, or waste management department. Many times they offer free workshops to the public on composting. It is a great source for getting you started and they can also offer discounted composting containers. Another resource is Master Gardeners. In our area they partner with the city and county to offer these workshops to the public at no charge. These resources are also great at helping you trouble shoot any issues you may have encountered with composting.
Check with your local waste management or recycling center to see if they offer a residential composting program.
City of Napa | Composting Workshops
Food Donation Connection - Let Nothing be Wasted
Residential Food Composting Program | Napa Recycling and Waste Services
University of California Master Gardners - Napa | Composting
Composting is great for kids. One of our kids’ chores is taking out the compost. This way they can see what is discarded and how long it takes for it to breakdown. It is actually a really good learning experience for adults too.