Eco Earth City Guide Resources
COMPOSTING 101
What is composting?
Composting is simple way to reduce the carbon footprint. By composting you divert the waste that would have ended up in our landfill. By composting it also reduces the methane gas that leaches out from your landfill.
Composting your yard and kitchen food waste is a small action that can make a big impact on the world on many levels. Composting is a natural process of decomposition of organic materials such as leaves, grass, and food scraps by various organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and earthworms. (www.epa.com)
What can I compost?
You can compost yard waste and food waste. They are typically divided as green material and brown material. Green materials consist of grass cuttings, tea bags, fruit and vegetable peelings and hedge clippings. Brown materials consist of leaves, wood chippings, cardboard, straw and shredded paper. These materials give the compost a good structure and allow good air circulation.
Types of Composting:
Anaerobic Composting means to compost with air. This process requires you to participate and turn the material once or twice a week to aerate the material. This high nitrogen based material will grow bacteria that will create a high tempature environment that will break down easily and will not smell.
This is a high maintenance and needs monitering for moisture.
Aeorbic composting means to compost without air. This is a slow process and takes several years to breakdown. This is done by compacting the material in a tight area so that no air and living organisms can breath or get in.
This is low maintenance and doesn't need as much monitering, however it does need to have the moisture checked periocically.
Vermiculture is composting using worms to eat all of the food along with bacteria, fungi, insects, and other bugs.
Some of these critters break down the organic materials for the others to eat. Red worms eat the bacteria, fungi, and the food waste, and then deposit their castings. Oxygen and moisture are required to keep this compost healthy.
This is medium maintenance compost since you need to feed your red worms and monitor the conditions.
Composting Facts
In 2005 the United States generated 245.7 million tons of waste in one year. That is 4.5 lbs of waste per person per day. (US Compost Council and EPA).
By simply composting your garden and your food waste you will divert 30% of the waste that would have ended up in the landfill. Good composting techniques will improve your garden quality, conserve resources, prevents pollution and it is economically viable.
Where can I buy a Compost Bin?
Compost Bins Available at the Santa Barbara Transfer Station
County of Santa Barbara Transfer Station
4430 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA
93110
(805) 681-4335
Sources:
www.lessismore.com
www.zerowasteamerica.org
www.compostingcouncil.org