Blog #9 Waste Reduction: Composting; Methods and Benefits

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE METHODS USED IN COMPOSTING?

Composting is the act of recycling organic waste into nutrients for planting soil. The idea behind it is to reuse organic waste in a more sustainable way. There are many methods used to create useful compost and these are the ones that interested me the most.

Bokashi Composting [2]: this method uses a selected group of microorganisms to anaerobically ferment kitchen waste. It takes about 2 weeks to complete the process. Even though the compost is comprised of generally malodorous wastes (dairy, meat, and baked goods), the method uses a closed system so there is no worry about the smell or even the bugs the process may attract. This method also boasts that there is no nutrient loss and the process is easily learned.

Compost Tea [3]: The website that taught this approach broke it down into 5 steps; find a suitable compost tea machine, find a good source of compost (with the desired levels of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes), decide what foods you want to use to grow the beneficial organisms in your tea, transfer the tea into a sprayer, spray the tea evenly over the plant’s leaf surfaces. This method seems more difficult and requires more education about the process, but generally only take 3-7 days to complete.

Humanure [4]: This method creates compost from human urine and excrement; recycling human waste to become nutrients for soil. Direct application of human waste is not what this method is about; there is still a process to turn this waste into nutrient rich compost. There is a special toilet that is used in this process and also a specially constructed bin. The process requires an individual to extract the waste, which is mix with a solution, out of the toilet and carry it to the bin. The bin then processes the waste at high temperatures which attract the proper microorganisms. This method takes months to finish, but it can compost not only human waste, but also anything else that is able to be composted.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO THESE COMPOSTING METHODS?

<><> <><>

BOKASHI COMPOSTING	COMPOST TEA	HUMANURE
·         It is versatile. You can compost all of your kitchen waste. ·         No nutrients are lost. ·         No greenhouse gases are produced. ·         No need for a yard or large compost piles. ·         The scraps are inoculated with beneficial microorganisms. ·         It is easy	·         Improve plant growth ·         Improve nutrient retention in the soil ·         Improve plant nutrition ·         Reduce the negative impacts of chemical-based pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on beneficial microorganisms in the ecosystem ·         Reduce water loss, improve water-holding in the soil, and thus reduce water use in your system ·         Improve tillage by building better soil structure	·         Reduces water consumption ·         Provides virtually free nutrients for plants ·         Easy method to turn compostable trash into compost ·         Erases the need for sewage systems in personal house holds ·         A more sustainable way to handle human waste

___________________________________________________________________________________

There are some unique benefits but there are also some overall benefits that I believe should be mentioned. Composting reduces solid waste and improves soil quality. It also improves our ground water quality by reducing the need for using chemicals in our soil that produce pollutants. Composting is also a great weapon in our fight to conserve water. Perhaps the most important benefit is that composting fertilizes our soil. Through intense and concentrated agriculture, many farms have nutrient starved soil. Composting can help solve this problem and feed nutrients to the soil, which in turn, feeds those nutrients to our food supply [5].

___

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost

[2] http://www.bokashicomposting.com/

[3] http://www.soilfoodweb.com/sfi_approach3.html#Activecompost

[4] http://humanurehandbook.com/

[5] http://www.arlingtontx.gov/environment/composting.html