These days most people are looking for ways they can help the environment, and the perfect way to do so is by composting. Composting is quick, easy, free, and great for reducing waste! When you throw food in the garbage, it gets thrown in a landfill where it contributes to methane emissions and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But when you compost food, it decomposes completely and can be used for a plethora of things–it can be a fertilizer for plants and it can help with reforestation, restoring wetlands, and revitalizing animal habitats. On top of giving back to the environment, composting is also super simple and can be done in any and all homes.
Creating a compost is quick and easy. First, you need a container for your food scraps. Some people use plastic containers, but I prefer to use an extra Whole Foods bag or any other paper bags lying around because I always have one, and they’re compostable! Once I’ve chosen my bag, I usually put it in my fridge because it keeps the compost from smelling.
After you’ve set up your container, you can start filling it up. Most non-dairy food products can be thrown in the compost. The majority of compost receptacles will take any fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, cereal, bread, grains, coffee filters, coffee grounds, nut and egg shells, and pits. They’ll also accept some non-food waste like tea bags, house plants, potting soil, and dried or cut flowers!
Once the container is full, you can drop it off at the nearest compost receptacle. Grow NYC has more than 150 receptacles all around New York and you can check out the locations and times at https://www.grownyc.org/compost/locations! The receptacles are usually part of a farmers market and they’ll be near the end of the market in giant green bins. Just pour out your container–or if you used a paper bag put the whole thing in–and that’s it! The whole trip usually takes me about ten minutes total.
Composting is such a simple way to make a difference and reduce your carbon footprint. Nowadays it’s easy to feel helpless about the environmental crisis, but composting is a huge way to help out and give back to the Earth. Not only does composting prevent more greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere, but it also helps other parts of the environment thrive without chemicals – it’s a win-win scenario!