Did you know that if all the biodegradable food waste produced by households in the United Kingdom was indeed composted, it would be equivalent to saving 2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year? Composting is nature's way of disposing of organic material.
The composting process breaks down organic material, by transforming it into a nutrient rich mulch, which is the ideal environmentally-friendly, multi-purpose amendments for your garden.
So, what can you do about transforming all this organic food waste to compost? Basically you have two options; you can either take your organic waste to a central composting facility, if there is one located where you live, or you can start composting at home.
Composting at home is very easy because the hard work is done by somebody (or strictly speaking, something) else.
The natural decomposition process that ultimately creates the finished compost is the result of hard work put in by billions of micro-organisms, which already live in the garden soil.
To make sure you have plenty of these little guys putting in their shift in your bin, you should always put your compost bin straight on top of the soil in the garden and you can also add some extra soil to your bin to encourage the microbial activity.
To get your compost bin working optimally you need the right balance of five simple ingredients: "greens", "browns", heat, water and air.
Greens and Browns "Greens" and "browns" refer to two categories of organic material that contain varying ratios of carbon and nitrogen.
"Green" refers to the nitrogen-rich material, such as grass clippings, vegetable peelings and fruit waste, while "brown" refers to carbon-rich material, such as wood, leaves and cardboard.
The general consensus is that the ratio of carbon to nitrogen needs to be about 25:1 for the composting process to work most efficiently, which means that as a rule of thumb the material should be mixed with about two parts brown to one part green based on the approximate weight of the material.
To aid the composting process material should be shredded or chopped up, and mixed together as it is put into the compost bin.
Heat Depending somewhat on your climate, you should place your compost bin in a nice warm and sunny place in your garden.
The micro-organisms like it hot and the organic material will break down more quickly when the compost bin is hot.
High temperatures will kill off many weed seeds too.
You can produce compost in cooler climates or in the colder seasons, but the process take much longer, than when it is warm.
The best way to make sure that your bin is at the right temperature is by feeling the compost with your hand.
If it is warm or hot, everything is decomposing according to plan, but if it is about the same temperature as the surrounding air, the microbial activity has slowed down and you need to add more green materials to the mix.
The ideal temperature is between 45 to 60 degree Celsius.
You can use a compost thermometer to see how well the composting process is doing.
They are relatively inexpensive and can be convenient, especially if you require a hot pile to kill off weed seeds.
Water Water is important too.
The compost heap should be kept moist, but not soggy or wet.
The compost can sometimes dry out at the edges, which is something you should watch out for in dry weather.
If the compost pile dries up, the all-important micro-organisms may suffer and die and the composting process will slow down or completely stop.
You should always keep in mind that too much water is just as damaging as lack of water.
Water will replace air if the heap gets too wet, which will create an anaerobic environment that inhibits the decomposition process.
The easiest way to check whether your bin is at the right moisture levels is to grab a handful of decomposing material from the middle of the pile and give it a good squeeze.
If there is water running out of it, the mixture is too wet, and if it falls apart when you release your grip, it is too dry.
The correct moisture level is when it is as dry as a wrung-out sponge and stays compacted when you release your grip.
Air Aeration or air circulation is also a critical component when managing a compost heap.
Most of the micro-organisms that decompose organic matter need oxygen to survive.
The air gets into the bin from aeration holes or ventilation slots and to keep your heap well aerated, you should always mix materials that easily compact, such as ashes or sawdust, with another coarser grained material first.
You should also regularly turn the decomposing material with a pitchfork or a compost aerator to inject fresh air into the middle of the compost pile.
Get Started Depending on the balance of the five basic ingredients your compost will be mature and ready to use in 2 - 6 months.
Compost is primarily used as a soil conditioner.
You can use it by putting a layer on top of your garden beds, by digging it into the soil before planting or sowing, as side dressing for established plants or even when you are establishing a new lawn.
So what do you think? It doesn't really sound that hard or complicated does it? Why don't you get a compost bin and start composting today? You will not only do your bit to help the environment, you will also discover that your garden will love it too!