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Recycling 101: Composting
Composting is the decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is excellent for adding to houseplants or enriching garden soil. It is the best way to recycle your yard and kitchen wastes, and is a critical step in reducing the volume of garbage that is needlessly sent to landfills. Furthermore, composting improves soil properties, provides nutrients to plants, conserves water, can extend the growing season, and helps to control soil erosion. An average household can compost between 500 and 1,000 pounds of organic material each year in a compost bin, producing a rich soil supplement out of material that would otherwise be disposed.
Nature provides an army of workers---bacteria, fungi, molds, earthworms and insects who specialize in decomposing organic material. Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags and egg shells can be composted. To keep animals and odors away, do not add meat, bones, fats, dog or cat litter. Make sure you use plenty of green and brown plant material. Brown leaves add carbon, while green, moist materials add nitrogen, both of which are needed by the bacteria in your compost pile. They also need water and oxygen, so remember to turn the pile and keep it wet as a wrung-out sponge.
Do-It-Yourself Composting
Bin
You can make your own composting bin out of wire, wood, concrete blocks or even garbage cans with drainage holes in the bottom. Enclosed composting bins keep out pests, hold heat and moisture in and have a neat appearance.Depending on the size of your bin and what you put into it, composting can take from 3 months to 2 years. Here’s a good recipe for a speedier compost: Make your compost pile 3 feet wide and 3 feet high so it heats up quickly. Turn your pile once a week, or poke it with a pitchfork to aerate. Keep the carbon to nitrogen ration 20:1. Carbon-rich materials include straw, dry leaves, sawdust and shredded paper. Nitrogen-rich materials include kitchen scraps, fresh yard waste and grass clippings, seaweed and alfalfa. Keep the pile moist like a damp sponge. Shredded debris and food scraps break down faster, sometimes even adding moisture to the mix.
You Can Also Buy a Compost Bin
To make it even easier to compost kitchen scraps and yard waste, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection makes home composting bins available to towns each year. There are two styles of compost bins available to Sherborn residents, Earth Machine and New Age Composter, shown below. Both types are easily assembled, rodent-resistant, and allow for efficient, aerobic composting. Not only that, the bins are made from at least 50 percent post-consumer recycled plastic collected or processed in Massachusetts. The Earth Machine costs $25.00 and the Brave New Composter costs $40.00. Bins may be purchased from any of the attendants at the Hap Ruane Recycling Center. For further information on home composting, contact Carol Rubenstein by phone at (508) 653-8794 or by email at crbnstein@aol.com.
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