5 Ways to Get Composting
Posted on September 16, 2015
If you think the only way to compost is to throw food scraps into a pile in the garden, think again. There are many options and there’s probably a method that might work best for you. Our Composting 100 Workshop is coming up on September 24th where we’ll give you an introduction to a variety of composting methods and help with common problems. We’ve listed 5 different ways to compost below, so you can start discovering what works best for you!
1. Outdoor Composting Outdoor composting consists of a bin outside that you take your food scraps to and maintain throughout the year. You can learn more from our online backyard composting guide. We also sell backyard composters and kitchen catchers (with carbon filters to catch those smells) at our EcoStore.
2. Vermicomposting Don’t have a yard, or enough space for an outdoor composter? Consider vermicomposting. Worms munch on your food waste and create nutrient rich compost. Odourless and contained in a small ventilated bin that can be stored in an easy to access closet or cupboard, worms are easy to maintain (even easier than a fish tank!) Check out our online vermicomposting guide, and when you’re ready for your red wrigglers, order your worms from us, too.
3. Bokashi There’s another way to compost that can take waste other composters can’t, and break it down faster. Bokashi is a process that uses bacteria to break down organic matter in a small bin. We sell beginner bokashi kits at our EcoStore and we also have a workshop coming up October 15th dedicated to making your own bokashi starter mix.
4. Compost Tea If you’re looking to use compost as a way to fertilize your garden, you may wish to make your own compost tea. A nutritionally rich liquid, made by steeping aged compost in water, compost tea can be easily applied to your garden, lawn, shrubs and trees. Join us at our Making your own Compost Tea Workshop on November 4th.
5. Find someone else to do it If you feel like composting isn’t something you’d like to do; you may be able to still keep your food scraps out of the landfill. Ask your neighbors if anyone near you composts and might be interested in taking your organics. If not, you can use the Community Gardens Resource Network to search for and contact a community garden near you. There are also many businesses that have residential organics pick-up programs for apartments, condos and townhouse complexes, such as PEL Recycling, Blue Planet Recycling, Fin-Wall and Urban Impact.
We hope you’ve been able to find out a way of composting that works for you! Don’t forget that you can join us at our Composting 100 Workshop on September 24th to learn more in person and spend time with like-minded composters!
