Today is our second edition of Heal The Earth, launched last week with an eye for offering simple, easy-to-follow steps to living a greener life. Only by working together can we begin to heal our Earth, one day at a time. Today’s edition spotlights composting. There is much to be said about composting, but let’s start very simply.

There are many ways to compost and many varieties of composters. In fact, it took me almost two years to start composting because I was so overwhelmed by all the options (twirling, spinning, multi-layered, pre-wormed, etc). Forget them all. This is how simple composting can be:

  1. Start with a simple composter. We bought a plain $49 bin from The Home Depot, which we put together ourselves. It’s not fancy, it doesn’t spin around or water itself or do any other tricks. It’s just a box that holds compost. And it works. As a bonus, it was made from recycled materials. If you want a completely free option, gather up a bunch of sticks and build your own.
  2. Find a place in your yard that gets the most sunlight during the day, and place your composter there. This helps to break the materials down into compost more quickly.
  3. You need a blend of “brown” and “green” items to successfully compost. Read the list of things that can and cannot be composted (print one and keep handy until you get comfortable with your knowledge). Meat, bones, grease, etc. are not good compost material because they attract the wrong kind of critters. Items such as greens, carrots, crushed eggshells, tea and coffee grounds are great compost items. They attract worms that feed and break down these items and turn them back into dirt, which you can then use in your flower beds and gardens.
  4. One tip: our composter is downstairs, so we cut the top off an old laundry detergent container and keep it right outside the back door, as a “temporary holding bin” for kitchen scraps, which we empty every few days in the main bin.

This is a brief crash course, but you can keep it super simple and get some great compost. I can’t believe how quickly our household items break down into thick, rich soil which we can use in our yard! Between composting and recycling, our entire house now creates a less than half a small kitchen trash bag per week. Do your part – heal our Earth! We’re all counting on you…

For a great starter list of information on composting, check out Wikipedia:

Compost is composed of organic materials derived from plant and animal matter that has been decomposed largely through aerobic decomposition. The process of composting is simple and practiced by individuals in their homes, farmers on their land, and industrially by industries and cities.

Compost is rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer to add vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses).