Yes, I compost. No, it’s not hard or messy or stinky. It doesn’t require much time or energy or motivation. You don’t need special tools, fancy bins, or scientific expertise. I inherited a plastic container from a friend who was moving, and I had a basic outdoor trash can. My small countertop compost container was a thrift store find. Every fall, I fill the trashcan with leaves I rake from my yard. Whenever I take my kitchen scraps to the compost bin, I grab a handful of dead leaves and mix it all together using my shovel. The bin has a few holes on top that allow a little rain in, and occasionally I rinse my countertop container at a hose bib and pour that into the mix. Trust me, I’m not measuring, keeping track of anything, or doing any math! The breakdown process is quick and produces rich soil that I use with potted plants, perennials, and new plantings.
You have easy access to a wide variety of composting resources, from this EPA guide to this Composting 101 guide from the National Resources Defense Council to this Ultimate Guide from the folks at GardeningKnowHow. Here’s a quickglance brochure produced by the Georgia Recycling Coalition. Composters love talking about it, and some can get technical. I don’t let that faze me – just refer to the previous paragraph!
A work group of the Climate Action Team is actively exploring options for implementing a compost plan for UUCA. We brought a tumbler over from our Cliff Valley location, and the group is identifying container options for indoor scraps collection. Join this small group by emailing Nicole Haines at hip2bveg@gmail.com.
If you aren’t already doing some kind of composting, consider the benefits not only to your waste profile and yard but to the environment as a whole. These graphics explain the real difference composting can make – a difference YOU can make.
