Ready to go green [1]? Composting food scraps [2] and yard waste is an easy way to help the planet flourish, grow, and (most importantly) survive. More than 30 percent of what people throw away is compostable [3], meaning useful items end up in landfills and don't do the earth any good. The good news is that making compost is easier than you might think, meaning helping save the planet is, too.
The first and most important thing to know about this eco-friendly practice is being aware of what you can actually compost. Compostable goods consist of fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, cardboard, yard trimmings, and more. In addition to these items, making thoughtful swaps to the products you buy is also a great way to reduce waste. For example, compostable cleaning wipes can be used instead of noncompostable ones and biodegradable sponges can be purchased in place of plastic ones. By making these switches, you can help keep the planet healthy, happy, and whole.
If you're ready to start composting, these quick tips will help you do just that. Keep reading to see the most important things to do while composting.
- Research where you can compost: If you have access to a backyard, set up your own composter [4] or reach out to the city for a green compost collection bin. If you live in a large city, see if your apartment building has a green bin or ask your landlord to request one. Otherwise, most farmers markets will have a compost drop-off for you to contribute to each week.
- Stop trashing your food: The compost bin [5] can be the new home of all of your food scraps, including vegetables, eggshells, coffee grinds, meat, bones, and leftover cooked food. Just remember to remove any stickers, plastic, or foil from the food.
- Toss the packaging: If it's made of wood, paper, or compostable plastic, then it belongs in the compost bin. Basically if it came from the ground, it's compostable, so even greasy pizza boxes can go in there. (Plastics labeled "biodegradable" are not compostable.)
- Get rid of the stink and flies: While there are some airtight compost bins with charcoal lids that help prevent smells from getting out, here's a guaranteed stink-proof method. Place all the food scraps in a compostable green bag and store it in the freezer until the bag is full.
- See the amazing results: If you compost and recycle regularly [6], you'll soon notice that you barely have any trash. Thanks to composting, the days of stinky trash are gone, as your trash bin will only hold nonrecyclable packaging, plastic wrappers, and bags. Cheers to composting!
