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Composting is a Smart Way to Recycle

Compost piles are oh so very mainstream these days. Back during the 1960s and 1970s when green living was part of the hippie lifestyle, earth-friendly ways of living were incorporated including the obligatory compost pile or bin.

These days, so many homeowners have caught on that it isn’t uncommon to find backyard after backyard with some sort of compost area in place.

What keeps many people from composting is the smell and work involved in maintaining a bin or a pile. However, there are a couple of ways to approach composting, either of which can yield nutrient rich soil useful for your garden:

Cold composting – As the name suggests, you simply gather your food and lawn scraps, throw them in a pile, and forget about them. Eventually, everything will rot and be useful for later use. However, left untended a cold compost heap can attract unwanted animals, stink when it is hot outside, and look awful.

Hot composting – This method requires active participation on your part to stir the pile, measure what goes into it, and layer the same. The biggest advantage of hot composting is that you’ll be rewarded with a rich end product much faster.

Compost Pile or Compost Bin?

If building a compost pile, you’ll need to find a remote area in your yard to where you can place everything. Take your neighbors into consideration by keeping the pile several feet away from their property and avoid placing the pile where downwind breezes will carry the smell to their yard.

Alternatively, consider purchasing a compost bin. From the simple – made out of plastic, resembling a trash can, to the complicated – made out of wood or high grade resin, your bin should be designed to where you can easily rotate the contents with an integrated handle or open up a trap door and stir everything with a shovel or pitchfork. The advantage of a compost bin is that you reduce smell, have an attractive unit at your disposal, and can hasten the decomposing process.

With many localities raising their rates on garage removal, you can help reduce municipal costs by composting select food items, grass clipping, leaves, and other yard waste. By carefully choosing a composting method that is right for you, you can come away with nutrient rich soil at no cost to you while reducing the impact you have on the environment.

Resources

Organic Gardening and Composting