Did you know that kitchen waste makes up some 30% of household waste in Canada? Or that the methane created when these organics decompose in a landfill can be 20 times as potent a greenhouse gas as CO2? The good news is, organics are not really garbage. Most of this waste can be easily converted to rich, healthy soil. That’s composting. And it’s one of the best things you can do to cut waste and regenerate the soil.
If you have a back yard, or even a balcony, it’s relatively easy to get a composter going. Many municipalities sell them and some have special seasonal discounts. Composting right in the kitchen is also possible with a worm composter, but it takes a bit more dedication and care.
The composting process is pretty straightforward. You put in uncooked fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, leaves, stale bread, eggshells, teabags, straw, coffee grounds and even dryer lint. Bacteria, fungi, microorganisms and worms turn it all into a dark, earthy, soil-like substance that actually smells rather fresh.
It’s important for a compost pile to have the right combination of ingredients and that it contain the right level of moisture. There are some good resources online where you can get specific information on compost content and maintenance.
Some municipalities , including most of Lower Mainland Vancouver, even have pick-up programs for compost, along with yard waste. Here is a link to information on the Vancouver program.
London Drugs also has some products that make composting a lot handier, like the Bag to Earth cellulose-lined compostable paper bags (a great choice for municipal programs) and the SureClose Food Scraps Container.
So whether you do it yourself or use a local municipal program, it’s a good idea to dig into composting.
Where to find out more:
City of Vancouver Food Scraps Collection Program
‘Here’s the Dirt’ PDF on composting from Metro Vancouver
‘Here’s the Dirt’ PDF on WORM composting from Metro Vancouver
Winter composting in Calgary
City of Saskatoon Composting
I use one of the compost buckets that was at London Drugs. It easily fits under our kitchen sink, it’s easy to keep clean and there are NO smells! We use our composter and the city of vancouver composter pending our compost scraps.