Composting 101: An Easy Awesome Way to Help the Earth
Composting is the best way for us as consumers to give back to the Earth. Composting is an easy, awesome way to help the earth replenish and recover depleted nutrients. You can compost in a pile, in a composter tumbler, and even using worms! Check out these ways to make composting a part of your family’s daily activities.
Helping the City
Depending on what city you live in, you can help with their citywide composting efforts. For instance, in Portland, Oregon, they have a bin that is specific to food and garden waste. They pick this up and take it the city’s compost site. You can then have a load of fresh, nutrient-rich compost delivered to you in return. Now that is just awesome right there!
Compost Pile
One of the more traditional ways to compost is by building a compost pile. Start with laying down straw and newspapers, followed by brown waste such as tree limbs, bark, and dead leaves. Then pile on green waste like grass clippings, more newspaper, and coffee grounds. Then add in kitchen scraps from fruit, vegetables, and egg shells. Don’t add in dairy or meat products or you could attract vermin to your pile. Water the pile in very well. Every week it is time to get your workout on my turning the pile. Everything on the bottom must be turned to be on the top. By doing this every week, you will have homemade compost in as little as 6-8 weeks. Think of all of those materials that didn’t end up in the landfill because you composted them!
Compost Tumbler
An easier way to get the benefits of compost without the labor intensive process of a pile is to purchase a compost tumbler. These will run you $100-200 and are worth every penny. You add in the same ingredients to the tumbler and then just turn the composter every few days. A couple turns is all it takes. Just remember to keep it moist and in 4-6 weeks you will have nutrient-rich awesome compost on your hands.
Earthworm Composting
You can buy an earthworm composting bin for under $100. Add in newspaper, used coffee filters, and table scraps to 100 Red Wrigglers. You will be amazed how much waste these little guys can eat! Earthworm castings are an awesome soil amendment for your garden.
What would you add to the list?
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
