Why Compost? How Does it Help?
Ø In the U.S. alone, we have over 31 million tons or 62,000,000,000 pounds of food waste per year.
Ø Diverting all of this waste would be equivalent to removing 6,000,000 cars from the road each year. This food waste could fill Washington DC, which is 62 square miles, completely with food waste 32 feet deep. ( Dr Nick Smith-Sebasto)
Ø Food waste in landfills produces methane, which is now said to be 72 times worse than carbon dioxide. (Rutgers Solid Waste Resource Council)
Ø Some will say that we can tap the landfills to capture the methane and produce electricity. This is partly true. The problem is that the methane is being released for years while the landfill is being filled (it is not capped until it reaches its maximum height -in NJ it can be over 100 feet high)
Ø Our soil has been depleted of nutrients. We hear all the time to take supplements since our foods do not have the same nutrient quality as they did before the chemical revolution (pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides) of the 1930’s and 40’s. We also will have less cost to amend our soil, no more fertilizer or pesticides.
Ø We will be healthier, our food will be healthier. Our soil will contain beneficial microbes that help us assimilate the nutrients in our food.
Ø It is more responsible way to handle one’s own waste.
Ø Will reduce garbage costs for you, the township, or municipality (tax dollars) since food waste is one of the heaviest part of our waste. We pay for it one way or another- our property taxes, our food, or our health. Ø A digester can handle pet waste as well as food waste. This will remove pet waste and potentially harmful parasites or bacteria from your yard as well as from polluting lakes and streams. The digester can help facilitate the disposal of pet waste in an environmentally freindly manner...and you can put your food waste in there as well. We are working with All Dogs Poop in Camden County. They are keeping people's yards free from dog poo and it is being kept from the landfill and incinerator..to the DIGESTER. Check them out http://www.alldogspoop.com
How Do I start? What do I need to Do?
v Food waste composting bin should be close to your door/ kitchen door…too far and you will not use it- think winter snow and rain!
v Keep compost piles away from water sources, such as lakes, rivers and streams. The leachate will cause more algae bloom and can kill fish, as well as alter composition for plants to grow.
v Have a collection container made of stainless steel, ceramic, or plastic to collect the food waste for a few days. Make sure it has a lid or cover, especially for warm summer months.
v Layers of brown to green, like lasagna. The browns being leaves, etc. See full list of browns to greens.
v Activate your pile with algae, old wine. You can also put a little of your regular garden soil in there to infuse it with microbes that are from our area.
v Initially do not stir it for about 2 to 3 weeks so that it can develop the microbes to digest it. Then stir it. If you begin in summer months or add an activator, this process will occur more rapidly.
v Do not let it dry out. Keep moist like a damp sponge. Use old wine, water from your fish tank (goop and all), and water from old bouquets, or from hose or rain barrel to moisten.
v For larger yards, or if you have a lot of yard waste, you should have multiple bin collection system. This will help you to activate certain piles, and then have a place to store just “browns”. This helps so you can get the needed “browns” (carbon) to add to your food waste or “greens” (nitrogen).
v If your pile becomes too wet, then add more “brown”, dry materials, such as dry grass clippings, dead leaves, or shredded paper.
v You may notice large larvae in your pile-these are helpful as they eat an enormous amount of waste & do not produce houseflies; they will actually deter houseflies. These large larvae are the soldier fly; I call them "Compost Soldiers" since they do an amazing job at composting. Chicken and fish love the larvae so it helps to complete the circle.(Housefly maggots are small, white, & the size of rice grains).
v We have partnered our efforts with Sustainable Cherry Hill , check them out at www.sustainablecherryhill.org