Waste composting is one of the core principles of waste management. It is recommended due to its natural way of helping dispose of waste we generate in our homes. Basically, composting means taking all the waste we have, and letting it rot and decompose in a controlled way. It can be left to rot completely or partially and then used as manure.
Below are things you should know about composting;
- Composting waste acts as a soil conditioner, it creates rich humus that can be used on your garden or lawn. This thus helps to retain soil moisture and adds nutrients to the plants.
- Composting also helps you save money you’d have used to pay a waste clearance company to dispose of the waste. Almost 30% of all the home garbage can be used for composting.
- Plants require fertilizers in order to mature and thrive. However, the chemical fertilizers we commonly use are not eco friendly; but when we use compost waste we help save the environment by using eco friendly fertilizers.
- When you decide to compost waste, the first step will be to get a compost bin. Once you have that, you must always ensure that the waste you dump in there for composting is made of organic materials that can rot and decay easily.
- Usually, the waste dumped into the compost bin is categorized either as green or brown. Green means waste that has plenty of nitrogen, while brown means waste with plenty of carbon. As such, try and use a formula of 50/50, i.e. 50 % green, 50% brown.
- Some of the most common green waste you can add includes fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee filters and grounds, fresh grass, hedges trimmed from your garden, and so on so forth.
- Brown waste on the other hand may include sawdust, dry leaves, hay and straw, shredded paper, egg shells, paper towels, animal hair and fur, to mention but a few.
- There are types of waste you should never try to add into the compost bin; oils, grease, dairy products like milk, eggs, pesticide containers, etc.
- When putting the waste into the compost pit, always chop it into smaller pieces so that it decomposes faster. Also, start with the greens at the bottom, and cover them with the brown waste. This not only hastens the decomposition, but also keeps off flies and any bad odor from the bin.
