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Happy Composting!

COMPOSTING:

and its footprint in our lives

By Rosa Guallpa, Krista Nugent, and Anna Pinter

In conclusion

Composting is an important aspect of sustainability. It has the power to change the way we look at "dirt" forever.

What Goes in Compost Piles

It is important to build your compost pile with the appropriate ingredients. You don't want to adding food with meat, dairy or oils. No pet feces, diseased plants, weeds gone to seed, or ash from charcoal or coal.

Also while watching what you put in the pile you want to watch how much you put in. Balance is key, with your browns and greens.

Ways of Composting

Holding Units

There are many different ways one can go about composting. According to The University of Illinois the five main methods include:

  • Holding Units
  • Turning Units
  • Heaps
  • Sheet Composting
  • Pit Trenching
  • Relatively little maintenance and can range in size.
  • However they are harder to aerate, and this can cause a longer decomposition time
  • They can be bought or made
  • Are typically made of plastic but can come in wood.

Turning Units

Heap

  • Designed to be aerated through turning.
  • Generally more expensive.

recommended dimensions for a heap

  • Break down materials faster than holding units.
  • turning is optional
  • beware of to many woody materials, they break down slowly and will increase the size of your pile quickly.

Sheet Composting

  • When a thin layer of organic materials are spread over a garden area.
  • Decomposition may take a full season as opposed to a few weeks so it is best to start in the fall.

Pit Trenching

Below is the English system known as pit or trench composting which divides the garden into rows about 3 ft wide.

year 1

year 3

year 2

  • The simplest method
  • Decomposition can take 1 month to 1 year.

B.B.P.

Cons:

  • Compost piles can smell if correct balance of materials is not maintained.
  • The range of time it takes the materials to compost is large, anywhere from3 to 6 days to 1 to 2 years.
  • Depending on location, taking the food scraps out to the compost pile in a foot of snow is never fun.

What is Composting:

Compost is defined as a mixture of various decaying organic substances as dead leaves, manure, ect., for fertilizing land.

(The Random House College Dictionary)

How it Works:

  • Offers Economic Benefit: by reducing the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Its a low-cost alternative to landfill cover and provides a less costly method of cleaning contaminated soil.

Therefore Composting is defined as the act of creating compost.

  • Enriches the Soil: by encouraging the production of micro-organisms, which produce humus (a rich nutrient filled material). Composting can also suppress plant diseases, and eliminate need for chemical fertilizers
  • Helps Cleanup Contaminated Soil: by absorbing odors and binding heavy metals together to prevent them from moving toward water sources.
  • Helps Prevent Pollution: by composting organic materials instead of placing them in landfills it avoids the production of methane and leachate.

Benefits/Pros:

Promoting Composting

Composting is the biological breaking down of organic matter. The food scraps and yard waste, are broken down by microbes and other organisms found in soil, turning it into compost, water and carbon dioxide. The process can work as quickly as 3-6 days in a commercial compost unit. For smaller composting units, however composting can take 6 months or longer.

The US Compost Council

Pros and Cons, Earth Impact

Now equipt with your new knownledge of composting its up to you to make a change, but your not alone.

Why You Should Compost

NYC Compost Project in the Bronx

The United States Environmental Protection Agency

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