I know that a lot of food waste solutions out there are not relevant for the local consumer. If you’re reading this, you probably want to make some kind of change and at least know your options on how to reduce food waste.

In this post I’m presenting one option (brace yourselves as there are many more coming).

Compost

This is actually pretty simple.

The basics:

A compost is decomposed organic matter. This process (composting) recycles various organic materials such as leaves and vegetable scraps (we will get to the full list) and produces a soil conditioner, something that gardeners also describe as Black Gold.

What is the compost used for?

The compost creates valuable soil amendments improve the soil so that plants can make use of those nutrients and feed themselves.

You can use add this to soil in your own garden and planters.

Adding the compost will be beneficial to you because it:

• Improves soil structure
• Aids in necessary microbial activity in the soil
• Attracts beneficial insects such as earthworms
• Can suppress several soil born diseases
• Holds its nutrients in organic or slow release form, allowing for availability throughout the growing season.

Why is composting good?

Besides re-purposing food waste, by composting, we are able to reduce carbon emissions.

How?

1. Reducing the amount of garbage we create and therefore reducing the use of garbage trucks which have bad gas mileage and contribute to pollution and increase carbon emissions.
2. Reducing the amount of waste in landfills. Once food waste reaches a landfill, it produces greenhouse gases that it would not produce if composted. This is because the chemical reactions that turn composting food into a wonderful garden nutrient take place in the presence of oxygen. By contrast, landfills seal garbage in airtight enclosures. Although this prevents toxins from leaching into groundwater, it also means that food waste decomposes anaerobically, producing a gas mixture that is approximately 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon dioxide (see more here). Both of these are greenhouse gases, but since methane is more efficient at trapping radiation, it contributes 25 times more to global warming than carbon dioxide per pound. According to the ‘Food Waste Greenhouse Gas Calculator’ it is estimated that every kilogram of food thrown away results in 1.9 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions (see calculator here).

Where?

In many cities across the world, you can find local composts – Such as in Tel Aviv, in Massachusetts, New York City, Berlin and many more.

And – it’s pretty easy to create your own compost!

All compostable materials are either carbon or nitrogen-based, to varying degrees. The secret to a healthy compost pile is to maintain a working balance between these two elements.

What you’ll need:

• A bin
• Green materials containing nitrogen)—herbivore animal manure, vegetable or fruit kitchen waste, or grass clippings
• Brown materials containing carbon)—dead leaves or flowers, straw, or shredded newspaper
• Composting area
• Compost thermometer
• About 10 minutes a day

How to Compost (taken from Eartheasy)

1. Start your compost pile on bare earth. This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to aerate the compost and be transported to your garden beds.
2. Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile.
3. Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves, sawdust pellets and wood ashes. If you have wood ashes, sprinkle in thin layers, or they will clump together and be slow to break down.
4. Add manure, green manure (clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass, grass clippings) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along.
5. Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let rain do the job.
6. Cover with anything you have – wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered by rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden.
7. Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning “adds” oxygen. You can skip this step if you have a ready supply of coarse material like straw. Once you’ve established your compost pile, add new materials by mixing them in, rather than by adding them in layers. Mixing, or turning, the compost pile is key to aerating the composting materials and speeding the process to completion. If you want to buy a composter, rather than build your own compost pile, you may consider a buying a rotating compost tumbler which makes it easy to mix the compost regularly.

By the time the compost cooking process is complete, weed seeds, fungus spores and other undesirable elements that may have gone into your compost bin, should no longer be viable. Finished compost looks like rich soil. It’s dark and crumbly with an earthy smell.

Additional sources:

http://www.sodgod.com/composting/

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wasted-food-home

https://www.thespruce.com/compost-black-gold-for-your-garden-soil-1403130

What is Compost: A Complete Guide to Composting at Home