Did you know food scraps and yard waste make up nearly a third of what we throw away?
Instead of tossing common kitchen waste in the garbage so they can accumulate in landfills and release greenhouse gases, it’s much better for the environment to add them to your soil. Not only does compost reduce the need for chemical fertilizers in your yard or garden; compost actually enriches soil by helping it retain moisture and produce bacteria and fungi needed to break down organic matter and create nutrients.
In honor of National Composting Day on May 29, we spoke to some compost experts to help break down common myths about composting.
Myth #1: It’s too much work
“Composting is really easy; you don’t have to do any work other than set up your compost bin and add the right ingredients,” says horticulturist Julie Kilpatrick, author of The Plant Listener .
To get started, you’ll just need three, simple ingredients: browns (dead leaves, branches, and twigs), greens (grass clippings, fruit and vegetable waste, and coffee grounds), and water. The right balance of browns and greens is key, as these items together create the ideal carbon/nitrogen ratio to benefit your soil.
Myth #2: Compost will attract pests or vermin
While all compost will attract worms (that’s a good thing!), you can prevent pests by composting the right things. “Make sure to leave out cooked food and dairy products, as these can attract vermin,” says Kilpatrick. While meat is a no-no for traditional compost methods, you can toss in plenty of other waste, including egg shells, vacuum cleaner dust, pet hair, and paper products!
Myth #3: Composting doesn’t make a difference
Don’t talk yourself out of composting just because you think your own contribution won’t make a big enough difference. Reducing plant-based products in landfills is super important for protecting the environment — maybe even more important than keeping plastics out of landfills.
“When compostable, plant-based products are sent to landfill, they break down without the presence of oxygen and that causes very slow anaerobic decomposition, resulting in the production of methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas,” Kilpatrick says. “Some would argue that, in a landfill site, compostable products are more harmful than plastics because of this.”
Myth #4: Compost smells
Compost, when it’s done correctly, shouldn’t stink up your yard or home. If your compost pile begins to smell, it’s likely too wet, says Laura Durenburger , a blogger who reduced her family’s trash by 40 pounds a week, partially through composting. If your compost pile or bin starts to stink, simply add some brown materials and mix.
Myth #5: You can’t compost in an apartment
If you don’t have a yard, you can still reap the benefits of composting without a compost service. Bokashi-style composting , invented in Japan in the 1980s, uses microbe-inoculated Bokashi bran to break down food waste in sealed bins. “Bran mixed with food waste breaks down the food, and after a couple weeks, you’ll have a super-potent fertilizer called Bokashi Tea and partially-broken down pickled compost,” says Patio Designer and Outdoor Enthusiast Eric Clark, who writes at OutsideModern . “You then have to mix the remaining compost and bran with regular garden soil, and let it sit for a few more weeks, and the whole process will be complete and you get compost at the end.”
The good news: Since Bokashi composting takes place in sealed bins, it won’t stink up your apartment. You can also compost meat, cheese, dairy products, and even bones with the Bokashi method.
Just keep in mind that in the second part of the process, you’ll have to mix the Bokashi compost with soil, which might be easier in an outdoor garden area or balcony. If you don’t have outdoor access, Clark recommends using a bag of soil instead.
If you aren’t able to compost in your backyard for whatever reason, Durenburger recommends checking with your local farmers market, co-op, garden center, or yard waste facility to see if composting programs are available.
