Hey earth muffins! Sustainable living is all about reducing our impact on the environment and living in a way that ensures the future of the planet. One of the ways to reduce your impact is through composting. Why is it so important to compost?? Here are the top reasons why composting is essential for sustainable living:
1. Reduces waste going to landfills
One of the biggest benefits of composting is that it reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Landfills are inherently bad, especially since a lot of organic material is sent there that could have broken down in a sustainable way. By composting organic waste, we can divert it from landfills (and creating methane gas) which reduces our carbon footprint. It is such a great way to reduce food waste as well!
Hey earth muffins! Spring is here, which means we have access to our backyard compost bins again! Having a compost bin is a great way to curb your food waste and reduce the amount of biodegradable scraps headed to the landfill. Keep reading for a list of the best backyard composting tips to ensure you utilize your bin as best you can this spring!
~Be as serious about composting as you want!
The first of the backyard composting tips is to compost in a way that fits your lifestyle. Tumbler composters (like the one I have) are usually easier to deal with than compost piles. Pick your compost method wisely – and then be as serious about composting as you want. Do what fits with your lifestyle and your daily routine! If you try to bite off more than you can chew you might end up not using your bin at all.
Hey earth muffins! A great way to reduce food waste it to get yourself a compost bin. If you own a house, condo, or apartment with outside space, there is really no reason to not have some sort of bin. When I purchased my house in December, one of the first things I purchased was this compost bin… And I have been using (and loving) it ever since. Today I will be sharing my thoughts on this compost product to convince you all to start using it as well! 😉
What Compost Bin Did I Buy?
After doing a search of all the backyard compost options, I decided on the IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter from Amazon (affiliate link). It was the bin with the most reviews (almost 15,000 of them!); so, I figured it had been tried out by many other people. The price point is about $100, with it often being on sale for around $80. Because it isn’t as expensive as other bins, I thought it would be a good place to start since I was new to backyard composting.
Hey earth muffins! Today I wanted to talk about something that I recently got into: composting in an apartment! 😊 When I started this eco-journey back in 2018, I knew that I definitely wanted to compost when I got my own place. In the United States, the average person throws away 219 pounds of food waste each year – that’s 40 million tons of food total! Why is this bad? Food can’t actually break down correctly when it goes to a landfill. Instead of turning into carbon dioxide, it releases methane due to the lack of oxygen; this is absolutely terrible for the environment! What can you do about this? Try to compost! Even if you don’t live in a house with a backyard space for a compost bin, don’t give up hope yet! Here are my top tips for composting in an apartment. 🌎❤️
How I Compost in my Apartment
First off, I would like to point out that I am definitely not a composting expert. This is all fairly new to me as well, but I figured that this shows that composting is actually easy to get into! So, I hope it can still inspire you all. 😍 If you are look for articles about all the different types of composting, I suggest this guide or checking out this website that is totally devoted to it.
If you are wanting to get into composting, I suggest checking to see if there are any pick-up or drop-off services in your city. This is what I ultimately chose, as I live in an apartment downtown with no outdoor space. These services can vary: some will give you a bin to put out with the trash and recycling, a bucket (like mine!) and collect the bucket on a specific day, or you collect your own compost and bring it to a designated spot to drop off.
My compost bin stored under the kitchen sink!
Even though you will pay a small fee each month for this service, I think it is worth it. You get to support local groups that care about the environment! The organization that I support turns all the compost collected into soil. This soil is then returned back to you each month or donated to local community gardens. As I don’t have an outdoor space, I obviously donate my soil; it feels great knowing that my food waste is helping community spaces in my own city! 😊
Other Ways of Composting in an Apartment
Vermicompost
If you want a few new worm friends in your home, I suggest trying out vermicompost! The worms will break down your food waste right inside your apartment; however, note that the worms can’t turn everything into compost (ex. meat, seafood). So, if you aren’t a vegetarian this will not reduce all of your food waste. I’ve heard that vermicompost is most people’s go to choice in apartments; you don’t have to turn/mix the compost and can just leave the box of worms to do its thing. You can buy whole vermicompost sets on Amazon for $75-200 (affiliate link)!
Use an Effective Microogranism System
Worms may not be your thing, and I totally get that! Never fear, there are worm-free systems that are about half the price of vermicompost sets. For about $50 you can get a Bokashi system that uses microorganisms to break down your food waste (affiliate link). But, these systems are supposed to be transfered to a larger composting system (like vermicompost or outside compost bins); it might be smart to locate a friend who will take your compost once the bin gets full!
Tumbler Composting
If you are lucky enough to have a balcony or outdoor space, then I suggest getting a bigger composting bin that can be stored out there! You can get a bunch of different bins, but make sure you will be able to easily turn or mix the compost inside to keep it full of oxygen.
Overall, composting in an apartment isn’t that difficult to do. It might require some research and learning when you first start out, but the end result is amazing. I feel much happier when I toss my vegetable scraps into a compost bin than if I were to throw it into the trash. 🌎❤️ Do you compost??
