4Rs Tips for 6.3.2022 – Composting and Gardening: Great Habits and Hobbies
New Ways to Compost Make It An Easy, Planet-Friendly Habit to Adopt
I used to think of composting as a difficult and messy activity that only worked for people who own a home with a big yard where a smelly compost bin can be placed far away from the house. Maybe that was true once, but not anymore.
Composting is the ultimate reuse and it’s easier than you may think
Composting is an easy individual choice we can make to do our part for the planet. And, we have tons of tools available to help us do it.
The coolest invention I’ve seen lately is these indoor countertop composting machines. These systems have charcoal filters that help control odors and convert your food scraps into dirt overnight. It’s pretty cool.
- The Lomi, by Pela is a one-step composting system that makes it easy to reuse your food waste and save money. Check out this 2-minute video to learn more. Cost $499
- The Vitamix FoodCycler FC-50 is another indoor composting system I found. One article praised it as doing a remarkable job of reducing one’s waste footprint. Cost $399
You don’t need a garden to use compost, these machines make clean dirt you can use in any plants, indoor or outdoor. So you can compost even if you live in a high-rise apartment in a big city.
There is the consideration that this is yet another electric appliance you run in your home that adds to your energy use. But, emissions from food rotting in landfills or being incinerated are one of the biggest environmental issues we face.
A less expensive way to do indoor composting is by using a composting bin. These usually contain a charcoal odor control system and are meant to be storage for your food waste until you can transfer it to your municipal pick-up bin. If you do have curbside composting, check with your service to find out what they take and, if they take food scraps, consider getting one of these bins for your kitchen to make your composting process a bit easier.
No matter what method you choose, there are lots of solutions offered online, so do your research to find the one that’s right for you. A good beginning is to read reviews, like this one on composting bins and methods from Good Housekeeping.
Composting is circular and regenerative
Food waste is a major issue and we have control over it. Better meal planning and grocery shopping strategies help, but that doesn’t eliminate all food waste. We still have to deal with orange peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, and other organic waste we generate.
Regenerative Gardening is Simple and Could Save Us All
I talked about reusing plastics to decorate gardens in my last post, but more important is building Climate Victory Gardens. The type of gardening that is regenerative and helps the soil heal. The kind that, if everyone started doing it, can more quickly reverse climate change.
- This Green America video gives the 6 steps to regenerative gardening.
- Once you’re practicing regenerative gardening, order yourself a Climate Victory Garden sign, made from recycled aluminum. It’s a $10 donation. Check it out, it’s cute.
Let’s stop food waste by reusing it to add value to our lives and save the planet
Composting is the best way to eliminate the wasted food that we generate each day. And there are so many benefits.
- Compost is the best organic fertilizer for your plants and garden.
- Save money and the planet by eliminating chemical fertilizers.
- You will spend less on dirt for your planters.
- Composting is one of the 6 steps to regenerative gardening.
If you’re really into learning all you can about composting and want some DIY tips, this article from Earth Easy covers details on how to make and maintain your own compost system.
Find More Reuses for Your Food Waste
Another way to reduce your food waste is to reuse it. Here are some great ideas you might want to try.
- Coffee grounds make a great odor absorber – Most people I know put baking soda in their frig to absorb odors. I know I used to. But that wears out and you have to buy more to replace it. Save money and use the coffee grounds you’ve already bought. With food prices going up, it helps to get maximum use out of those expensive coffee grounds.
- Reuse a plastic tub, like cottage cheese, and dump used coffee grounds in it once they’ve cooled. Place it in the back of your frig to absorb food odors.
- Keep adding to it as you make coffee
- Stir it with a spoon to increase absorbency and,
- Scoop some out on cleaning day to use as an abrasive. Mixed with dish soap it’s a great way to get stubborn burns out of a pan or stains out of a dish.
- This article gives 11 Tips To Reuse Food Remains In The Household and has a cool recipe for making potato chips out of the skins when you peel them.
- Or these tips on Clever Ways to Use Inedible Food Scraps Around the House.
There are so many great ideas out there. Put how to reuse food scraps in your Ecosia search engine to find lots of great ideas.
Why It’s Important
A recent article from the US Department of Agriculture, Food Waste and its Links to Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change, states that “food waste is the single most common material landfilled and incinerated in the U.S.”
What sucks is, that it’s preventable. If we make a conscious effort to reduce our food waste – composting is just one of the ways – we could take a huge bite out of human-influenced climate change.
Ways You Can Make A Difference This Year
It’s not taboo to talk climate.
Share this video which might open someone’s eyes to the impact of humans on our planet. Three Seconds was the Film4Climate short film winner in 2016. Give it a watch. It’s only 4 minutes long and well worth your time.
Do you like surveys and quizzes? Try some of these EarthDay.org quizzes to test your Climate Change knowledge.
With Much Gratitude
That’s it for this week. If you like this post, please forward it to every earth-friendly human you know.
I hope, with your help, to make it to the Climate Reality Project leadership training in Las Vegas this June and learn more about how to fight for our planet. Please share this post and visit my GoFundMe page to help me get there.
Drop me a line anytime if you have questions or comments. I love hearing from you.
Thank you for reading these tips and subscribing. Pat yourself on the back for doing your part. Remember, every little bit helps.
You got this!
Jen
jen.thilman@gmail.com
Jen Thilman 