A large source of greenhouse gases is methane from landfills. This breaks down and adds more carbon dioxide to the air. The carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, leading to increased temperatures. Almost a quarter of the waste in landfills is organic waste.
This gives us an opportunity because instead of throwing it in landfills, we can compost organic waste. Composting is when you take advantage of natural processes and let organic waste break down naturally. It’s a clean, efficient, and fun process. Compost can be added to your garden, lawn, or flower bed, making it healthier and reducing the need for fertilizer while growing healthier plants, and many other benefits (and reducing greenhouse gases).
To compost, we need four major ingredients to create the right environment for composting:
- Compost Browns – material high in carbon
- Compost Greens – Material high in nitrogen
- Water
- Oxygen
These four ingredients, in the right proportions and conditions, allow you to grow the microorganisms, worms, insects and other organisms that will break down those greens and browns.
Compost browns serve a few major purposes in your compost pile:
- Source of Carbon – they are a source of carbon for the growth of the microorganisms that you need for proper composting
- Provide structure – Browns tend to be stiffer and more durable than their compost green counterparts. This creates pcokets in your compost pile for the oxygen and water needed for proper aerobic composting.
Here is a list of common compost browns that compost easily that you can use in your compost pile to mix with your greens for a robust composting environment.
Getting the Best Results
There are a few themes as we look at how to compost things. A handful will have their own special instructions but for most it’s pretty easy
- Make the pieces as small as you can. Smaller pieces have more surface area and allow better mixing with other materials. This gives the microorganisms a better chance of breaking it down more quickly.
- Turn your compost regularly (but not too often). This mixes the material, including adding moisture and oxygen.
- Keep your compost moist, but not wet. The is especially true as you add brown composting material. They tend to be dry and will soak up the moisture that you have.
These steps will get you a long way toward a healthy compost pile. Have fun with it!