Composting is a great way to use your leftover food scraps, fertilize your soil or garden, and reduce landfill waste. It may seem a little overwhelming to start but here is everything you need to start in order to compost. Even just a small composting bin is a huge step in living a more sustainable life!
- Container
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You are going to need a bin to store all of your materials. It can be as big or small as you want, you just have to make sure there are holes at the bottom to encourage draining. You can do this by drilling them yourself or getting a container with bins pre-made. 8-10 holes should be enough for a medium size bin.
- Green Material
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Green material is basically food scraps. This can include: vegetables, coffee grounds, animal manure, grass clippings, etc. This type of material will be nitrogen rich. Foods you shouldn’t add are: meat, fish, milk, or heavily processed food items.
- Brown Material
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Brown Materials are “brown” items, if you couldn’t already see that coming. This includes: dried leaves, saw dust, eggshells, wood chips, etc. These materials are very carbon rich. You should maintain a pretty set ration when it comes to “Green” versus “Brown” . For one part green there should be two parts brown.
- Soil
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You should add some rich soil to your compost bin in order to create a good base and mix in your materials.
- Water
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Once you add all your materials and soil, you can mix it together and make sure to generously water. If you want to be even more environmentally friendly you can collect rainwater to use to water your compost and garden!
These are the basics to get your own compost started! Just have an open mind and a willingness to commit and you will be set! Remember to always do more research. I am not an expert, I just have a hobby for gardening and being nice to our planet. You can always make it as big or small as you want depending on your commitment and the amount of space you have! Happy gardening!