Composting Made Easy: Essential Tips for Sustainable Living

As bright-eyed youngins, most of us dreamt about being superheroes. Valiantly defeat the villain, save the world, repeat. However, those daring dreams have likely dwindled as the realities of life reveal themselves with time. But have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, our heroic adolescent ambitions could become our actuality? Earth could use some help, and you can still become a world-saving hero—an ecological hero.

We’re talking about creating compost. You’ve undoubtedly heard about composting in middle school science class or through environmental campaigns while scrolling through social media. But there’s more to composting than simply separating food scraps into your green municipal bin before trash day. So, many questions remain: What is composting? Why should you compost? How do you start composting? These are some of the hard hitters we strive to answer in our beginner-friendly guide to composting.

Composting for Beginners: What exactly is it?

Almost everything comes down to a science—and composting is no exception. Composting is the natural, aerobic transformation of organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner.¹ In other words, it’s the oxygen-requiring process of turning carbon-based substances into valuable dirt enhancers. This natural decomposition leaves us with a dark and crumbly mixture containing essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, that existing microorganisms within the soil happily feed off.² Thus, the organic recycling compost process continues.

Why do we at Nature’s Fynd believe in composting?

In our commitment to composting, we remind ourselves of who we are: driven and optimistic Fynders with a mission bigger than ourselves. No matter the obstacle, we always find a way to persevere in our pursuit of sustainability. We bravely challenge convention by persistently seeking innovation in every aspect, from waste management to the preservation of the health of our planet. We are relentlessly curious and recognize that what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, meaning we will continue listening and asking questions to make our world a better place. We prioritize sustainability to leave everything better than we find it, with composting a concrete manifestation of this commitment. Finally, we act with intention and careful consideration. We acknowledge the problems we face are large and call for ambitious solutions. Composting is more than just a practice; it reflects our values—acting with purpose, challenging the status quo, and positively impacting the world.

Why should you compost?

According to a 2021 survey by the Pew Research Society, 72% of the population was concerned about global climate change, yet most did not believe they were demonstrating their best efforts to make a change.³ As human beings inhabiting planet Earth, this is our only home. So, it’s up to us to take care of it for current and future generations.

Composting is a powerful and sustainable practice with myriad benefits supporting its importance. First and foremost, composting plays a pivotal role in waste reduction by keeping organic materials out of landfills and mitigates the release of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane associated with anaerobic decomposition.⁴ Beyond waste reduction, composting enriches the soil with essential nutrients and improves its structure, providing a natural and organic alternative to synthetic fertilizers. This benefits plant growth and allows farmers to reduce their usage of chemical fertilizers, promoting healthier and more resilient soils with less risk of water pollution. Additionally, composting contributes to water conservation by enhancing the soil’s water holding capacity, reducing the need for irrigation.⁵ Further, the microbial diversity developed from composting supports decomposition, creating a thriving ecosystem that helps with nutrient cycling.

As if these reasons aren’t convincing enough, composting is also a cost-effective solution, proving to be an overall sustainable and economically practical choice with comprehensive advantages for environmental, horticultural, and agricultural practices.⁶

What should and shouldn’t you compost?

Knowing what to compost and what not to compost is essential for creating a successful composting system. Suitable compost materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, paper filters, and yard waste like leaves and grass clippings. These items help create the perfect carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (more on that momentarily), ensuring your compost pile has the necessary ingredients to become a useful soil amendment. In contrast, avoid adding meat, dairy, oily foods, bones, and pet waste, as these can attract pests and create unpleasant odors that might make you want to cut your composting journey short.

Tips for Setting Up Your Composting System

Embarking on a composting journey is a rewarding endeavor that reduces waste while contributing to our environment’s health. As you begin setting up your composting system, a few key tips can pave the way for a successful and efficient process. From choosing the right composting system to mastering the formula for optimal decomposition, these insights will guide you in creating nutrient-rich compost.

Choosing the Composting System That’s Right for You

When choosing the composting system that’s right for you, understanding the various types is key. Traditional compost heaps, compost bins, and tumblers each offer distinct advantages. A traditional heap is an open pile of your compost materials, making it versatile and cost-effective but a slower and more laborious process. Conversely, a bin keeps the compost contained and controlled, though it also requires extra effort to turn the contents –composting is an aerobic process, meaning you have to turn it regularly to provide it with oxygen. Tumblers are typically considered the most efficient and convenient for turning, which can be particularly helpful in putting less strain on your back or simply living a fast-paced lifestyle with little time to spare. However, tumblers are more of a financial sacrifice and can fill up easily, leaving you with compost limitations.

Then, consider your living situation and available space. A traditional heap might be ideal if you have an ample outdoor area. If compact living is more your vibe, you would more likely benefit from bins or tumblers. Regardless, you want to keep your compost in a dry, shady area that a water source can easily reach when appropriate. To guide you further, here are easy-to-follow steps on setting up a basic composting system for a seamless and effective composting experience.

The Magic Recipe for a Basic Composting System

The two main types of compost materials are greens and browns. The greens are nitrogen-rich materials like kitchen scraps and lawn trimmings, and the browns are carbon-rich materials like wood chips, newspaper, and cardboard. Ideally, we’re looking for a 25–50% balance of greens and 50–75% of browns to harbor a balanced environment for the beneficial microorganisms in the compost to work their magic.⁷

Getting Started

Now that you’ve selected where you want to put the best composting system for you, we can get to building a compost pile. First, begin by collecting your brown and green material for the compost. Then, you can start your pile with alternating layers of browns and greens, each a few inches deep. Start with the browns at the bottom to allow for better drainage and aeration, then top the pile with some browns to keep flies and odors at bay. Also, keep the layers hydrated as you go using a hose or other reliable water source.

And voila! Just like that, your compost system is ready for action. But don’t forget to turn it! Taking a shovel or rake out to mix the compost about every seven days helps create a successful compost. The more you turn the pile, the faster the decomposition takes place—the process can take anywhere from two months to a whole year. Ultimately, you want to find a composting routine that fits your general routine to help ensure proper compost upkeep.

Overcoming Composting Challenges

Whether you have a sprawling garden or a quaint kitchen, composting can be tailored to suit your lifestyle and contribute to a greener, more sustainable world. Still, especially if you’re new to composting, you’re bound to run into some challenges. Don’t fret—here are some troubleshooting tips to prepare you for hurdles that may come your way.

Tips for Outdoor Composts

When setting up an outdoor composting system, choose a location that provides sufficient space for a compost pile or bin, ensuring good drainage and accessibility. In colder climates, place the compost in a sunny spot to help “cook” it, while in hotter climates, consider a shaded area to prevent the compost from drying out. Covering the compost with a tarp or a bin lid can also help regulate moisture levels and protect the compost from extreme weather conditions.

Tips for Indoor Composts

Indoor composting is an attainable solution for recycling kitchen waste, but effective pest and odor management is key to a pleasant living environment. Begin by choosing a dedicated Indoor composting bin with a secure lid and consider options with activated carbon filters or ventilation systems to control odors. Alternating layers of green and brown materials (start and end with browns!) helps maintain a balanced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, which is crucial for odor control. Regularly mix or stir the compost to enhance aeration and prevent anaerobic conditions. If you can’t seem to make the smells go away, freeze particularly pungent scraps before adding them to the compost. Cleaning the bin regularly and using baking soda to absorb odors can minimize unwelcome scents. Then, to manage pests, ensure the compost bin is sealed and avoid composting meat, dairy, and oily foods that can attract insects. Following these tips will make you an indoor composting pro in no time.

Keeping Your Pile Healthy

You already have all the tools for a successful compost, but a little repetition never hurts. Let’s recall the major points we’ve covered so far to keep your compost healthy. Regular turning is key to providing adequate oxygen for your compost to flourish. Next, the right balance of browns and greens creates that ideal carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to ensure decomposition. Then, be sure to keep your pile moist without being waterlogged. Imagine a wrung-out sponge—that’s the idea we’re going for.

Turning Waste into Wealth

Now that you’ve created your valuable compost, what do you do with it? In outdoor gardens, spread your compost as a dressing around plants to improve soil structure, water retention, and nutrient content. You can also mix your compost into the soil before planting to enhance fertility and provide a nutrient-rich environment for plant roots. With indoor plants, you can incorporate your compost into potting mixes to boost soil fertility or use it to amend already-potted plants to promote healthy growth.

Composting and Sustainability

Composting is a natural form of recycling, making it one of the best actions to lessen the waste in landfills, target climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and create healthy soil for new growth.⁸ Composting is a small undertaking that can create massive impacts for the betterment of our planet.

Aligning with Vegan and Vegetarian Lifestyles

We love composting, but it’s not the only sustainable practice we can and should act on. Vegan and vegetarian lifestyles share many similarities with composting regarding their contributions toward sustainability. These diets have the lowest water footprint consumption, help reduce our carbon footprint, and have a lower environmental impact than Western diets.^{9, 10, 11} Leaning toward a more plant-based diet, a flexitarian diet, or consuming alternative proteins like Nature’s Fynd Fy Protein^TM helps take our sustainability efforts to the next level.

The Takeaway

Composting is a dynamic, sustainable practice that has the potential to protect our planet. From producing healthy soil for abundant crops to halting climate change, composting is one step we can take to ensure we’re doing our part. Whether you choose a compact kitchen compost bin or spread-out outdoor heap, your efforts make you a hero—doing good for the earth today and long term.

Want to take another step toward a more sustainable lifestyle? Check out our blog on tips for transitioning to a more sustainable diet.

1. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home Accessed November 2023

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28823698/#:~:text=The%20composting%20is%20an%20aerobic,transformed%20into%20more%20stable%20compounds Accessed November 2023