LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Reduce, reuse, recycle. The popular phrase is a common catch-all for those starting to live a sustainable lifestyle, but what if there was another way to be sustainable?
Enter, composting. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, composting is the natural breakdown of organic materials that can be added to any soil food scraps and other yard waste. It makes up 30% of what is thrown away in households. Instead, it could be composted and kept out of landfills.
Not only does it enrich the soil and help keep plants healthy, but it also reduces the need for fertilizers.
Composting requires what the EPA calls browns (dead leaves, twigs), greens (vegetables, coffee grounds) and water. “The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter,” the website said.
Whether you live in a house or apartment, it is possible to compost both outside and inside.
The EPA gave some pointers on how to compost outside. They suggested:
- Select a dry, shady spot near a water source
- Add chopped or shredded brown and green materials as collected
- Moisten as needed
- Once you have a compost pile mix greens into the pile and bury the fruit and veggies under 10 inches of compost
If composting inside, the EPA said it’s possible to buy or make bins suitable for the compost pile. They said if it is “properly managed” it will not smell or attract critters.
For a list of what you can and can’t add, click here.
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