topic Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out.. in Home

Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

lolakimono — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:16:53 GMT

but I don't like to garden and I don't have a green thumb. (I don't even own a plant).

I eat a lot of veggies and use a lot of tea grounds that COULD be composted, and relocated somewhere else. BF also uses a lot of eggs.

I am zealous about recycling, so I feel a bit sad about throwing away organic matter.

Do you compost if you don't garden?

I have a townhome, so cut grass and other outside sources aren't plentiful.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

LTT1 — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:25:04 GMT

@lolakimono

I don't compost.

It is surprising, looking at the graphic, how useful some items are that do contain ie: carbon in dryer lint! 😮

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

sweetee2 — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:25:54 GMT

No. Keeping a yard up is enough work. Now my cherries are getting ready to pick. There is always enough to do.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

lolakimono — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:26:56 GMT

@LTT1

I wonder if "hair" also covers cat hair?

I could generate a LOT of compost.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

LTT1 — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:29:39 GMT

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

LTT1 — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:32:51 GMT

@lolakimono

"The charity Matter of Trust is seeking clean hair to help soak up oil spills. Hair salons and pet groomers supply much of the hair, but individuals are welcome to donate too! The organizations asks that donors reuse a box and make sure there is no garbage (such as pins, cigarettes, food, or anything sharp or dangerous for volunteers, who are sometimes students) in the package—only fur, fleece and hair. The address to mail the donations to depends on where you live—sign up at ExcessAcesss.org for more detailed mailing instructions."

Interesting...

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

proudlyfromNJ — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:53:11 GMT

My sister lives in a town that is strict on recycling. Besides the bottles and cans, they have a container for composting that is collected along with the rest. If they chose, they can have composted material delivered to them by the town in the spring for a garden or such.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

blackhole99 — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:57:00 GMT

I compost and recycle just about everything we use. It takes a lot of time and effort if you do it right. We have a black bear that makes his rounds every spring so I have to be very careful what goes into the enclosed compost heap outside.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

AuntMame — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 16:35:25 GMT

We compost all our yard waste and spread the sifted compost on the lawn as fertilizer, and also spread it around trees and bushes. It's a HUGE amount of work. Turning over the compost pile weekly, shoveling and sifting the compost takes a lot of strength. DH jokes that working on the compost pile saves him from having to go to the gym. He also says in seriousness that one day he's going to be too old to do it any longer. Then there are the wasps. If you're not careful and turn the pile over regularly during late summer wasps will build nests in it. Then you have quite a problem. I don't know if I would compost if DH wasn't doing most of the work.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

software — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 17:22:04 GMT

That little graphic doesn't tell you how much work it is to compost.

An untended compost pile is just a pile of garbage.

The kind of garbage that gets hot, smokin' hot.

You have to be careful what goes in, plus it needs regular aeration and misting.

I'm conscience of my waste in other ways. Not going to compost. It's just me anyway, I generate very little waste.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

63mkm — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 18:45:13 GMT

I've been composting for about 5-6 years. It's just the two of us and honestly it's not such a burdensome process as some have stated here. I have a small vegetable garden and typically what is composted goes into the garden in the fall. I compost all my fruit and vegetable scraps, moldy bread, pasta that has gone bad but without sauce or oil. I add the dried blossoms from peonies, potted plant soil from plants that have died, coffee grinds, tea bags, corn husks. They key is to cut the food scraps so they break down quickly. For the dry I shred in my shredder the Safeway grocery add which is printed with soy ink. I purchased my compost bin from the city I live in and it's made from recycled material. It's locked therefore no wildlife can get in and the lid helps to heat it up. I turn it once a week and check it every other day to see if it needs moisture. I feel good knowing we're helping to reduce green house gases and I don't have to purchase fertilizer. For the person who started this thread, maybe a neighbor has a garden you can give your compost to? Or you can spread your compost under trees and shrubs too.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

lolakimono — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 18:53:15 GMT

@63mkm

We have an association, so there are lots of rules. You did give me a good idea though. We have an elementary school behind us (currently being remodeled) and I wonder if they would partner up with us so that we could "dispose" of our scraps and the kids could see the process of how composting works? I'm sure that there are a lot of STEM lessons and labs that could be done. Maybe they would even get on board with a community garden.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

DREAMON — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 20:39:21 GMT

We don't compost but do recycle and have a very large recycling facility in our community. We also have solar panels...maybe composting is in our future.

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

Snowpuppy — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 22:37:23 GMT

We are just getting into composting but we live rural and have acreage.

I found a 3x3x3 bin on Plow & Hearth I think we can dupe by using wood pallets. Starting with yard waste.

Lehman's has some composting crocks on their website if you are looking to just begin with kitchen food waste. You can easily dupe those for less $.

Be aware that composting with food waste outdoors will draw the critters for a late nite snack!

Re: Composting: I Feel Like I'm Missing Out..

AuntMame — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 06:10:42 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
We are just getting into composting but we live rural and have acreage.

I found a 3x3x3 bin on Plow & Hearth I think we can dupe by using wood pallets. Starting with yard waste.

Lehman's has some composting crocks on their website if you are looking to just begin with kitchen food waste. You can easily dupe those for less $.

Be aware that composting with food waste outdoors will draw the critters for a late nite snack!

DH uses wood from old pallets to build and maintain a large bin. He has one side which he can remove so he can more easily turn the pile. Seems like he's constantly rebuilding the bin.

We don't put food scraps in the compost heap because it does draw coons and rats. And the dogs will dig through it hunting for such savories as rotten carrots and old celery--things they would surely turn their nose up at if I gave them to them in the house, but they eat like rare delicacies when they dig them out of the compost pile.

Our city composts yard waste that is picked up at the curb. And sells the compost by the tractor-trailer-full to farms. It's actually a major source of revenue for our city. So I'm not sure how much we are personally aiding the environment by our composting efforts. But we are improving the soil around our house which is (was?) that nasty builder's sand.