Composting Made Easy

Composting is a viable option for both home owners and apartment dwellers. The most common method employed is the backyard container, which can be either a stationary vessel or a rotating bin. Each needs to have the contents turned periodically to supply sufficient oxygen and to mix the decaying material. In addition, adequate moisture is necessary to maintain decomposition. Getting the right mix of brown (shredded newspaper and leaves) and green material (grass clippings and vegetable scraps) is important, with the recommended ratio of 25-30 parts browns (high in carbon) to 1 part green (high in nitrogen).  A ratio greater than 30:1 will slow down the process, and a lower ratio will result in an objectionable odor.

If outdoor yard space is limited, then a smaller compost bin with worms can be used indoors.  Shredded newspaper is the primary brown material, with food scraps (bread, vegetables, coffee grounds and filter, fruits) providing the nitrogen (green material). It is highly recommended that you avoid meat, fish and dairy products.

If you want to avoid the hassles of composting, but want the final product, then “Compost Columbus” offers food waste pick-up service for Franklin County residents. For a monthly fee, the service will pick up your food waste either weekly or biweekly and then route the compost back to you twice a year (or if not wanted give it to local farmers, gardeners or charitable organizations).

Additional resources:

Planet Natural at: http://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/

Eartheasy at: http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html

Compost Guide at: http://compostguide.com/

U.S. EPA at: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food

Composting at Your Apartment at: https://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/basic-guide-to-composting-at-your-apartment/

Easy Worm Bin at: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/Easywormbin.htm