One of the most important things we teach our children is how to conserve, recycle, and reuse. Earth Day is a great excuse to celebrate our planet and check in with conservation efforts at home.
My family consistently turns off lights, does washing in the evenings, keeps the heat/AC down, uses cloth bags at the grocery store, and recycles. When we moved ‘up in the woods’ about a year ago and suddenly had a fenced-in backyard, I figured it was time to give composting a go.
Composting is easy, inexpensive, and can help save space in garbage bins and landfills.
For Christmas this past year, my husband gave me a compost bin. Romantic? No. Good gift? Yes! This one from Amazon is reasonably priced and easy to put together. It ‘lives’ between our shed and fence, close to our garden but far enough away from our play area. I also purchased this countertop bin to house scraps, so I don’t have to run outside after every meal. We reuse leftover plastic produce bags and take them out daily. We also have an aerator tool to mix the compost every few weeks. It just takes a turn or two.
Here are some common concerns or hesitations about composting.
How do I keep critters out of my compost?
There are a few keys to keeping local wildlife out of your bin. The first is to avoid all fats, meats, oils, etc. The second is to purchase a pest-proof container like the one we bought. Remember that there should be flies—stable flies, Green June beetles, and Houseflies—in your compost.
How much space does it take up?
Not much at all! You can even keep one in your basement!
How much time and effort does it take?
You can throw in as much or as little as you want. It takes no time when I’m throwing fruit and veggie scraps into the countertop bin instead of the other garbage bin. I’ve been pretty lax about aerating the larger container, but it won’t be ready for this spring and summer planting season. I’ll mix it more when it’s warmer out—compost tends to sit pretty idly in the winter months.
