In his presentation at Greener Grove’s March meeting, Adam Schwartz, Community Engagement Coordinator for The Urban Canopy’s Compost Club, invited us to learn about local food systems, the circular economy, and how the simple act of composting can put you back in touch with the natural cycles we are all a part of.
As Adam explained, nature is a preeminent recycler:
“In nature, every ecosystem tends towards a stable equilibrium. Organisms inhabit every available niche, cycling nutrients and energy through trophic levels. This is called a ‘food chain’ or ‘food web’. When an organism dies, all of the stored nutrients and energy return to the ecosystem to be used again.”
This contrasts with the 21st century reality that most food systems are linear: food is purchased in the grocery, far from where it is grown/processed, consumed (or not) and what remains is thrown in the trash and hauled away each week to a landfill.
Replicating what happens in nature, composting can help turn this linear food system into a circular one. Rather than trucking food waste to a landfill that could be miles away, agriculture food waste is composted locally, nutrients are returned to the soil to nourish the local ecosystem, and the food cycle can begin again.
Reducing Food Waste is the First Step
While composting food waste is the best way to get nutrients back into the local ecosystem, the most important first step is reducing food waste in the first place. This means, at the individual level, purchasing and growing only what you need, then consuming what you have on hand.
Why Composting is Important
In addition to reducing landfill waste and the associated greenhouse gas emissions, composting benefits include:
* Improves local soil quality.
* Aids in carbon sequestration.
* Helps yield bigger/better crops when added to vegetable gardens.
* Decreases water usage: organic matter helps the soil retain water, which also helps reduce runoff during periods of heavy rainfall.
* Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
Creating a Circular Food System at Home
As we think about relatively simple actions we can take to live more sustainably, composting is near the top of the list.
There are a variety of composting systems to choose from depending on the type of residence and how much space is available:
* Single-family residence or multi-unit building
* Available outdoor space - for example, a large yard or a shared greenspace
* Preference for an indoor composting system or outdoor
Composting systems include:
* Compost pile(s) - place in an area away from the house that can be incorporated into the landscape
* Compost bin - versatile in that it works well in both small and large outdoor spaces
* Compost tumbler - works in small and large outdoor spaces, including rooftop gardens
* Worm bin - best for indoor composting (worms will not survive outside in our northern Illinois winters)
* Compost swap/ Curbside pickup - works well when at-home composting is not an option
Depending on the system you adopt, most compost will break down in 3 to 5 months.
Following a basic recipe of 3 parts “browns” to 1 part “greens” will help inputs break down into a healthy, usable compost.
Adam offered several compost safety tips and best practices:
* Don’t add anything to your compost pile that you wouldn’t want in your vegetables (e.g., pesticides and animal waste).
* Avoid adding diseased plant material to the compost bin.
* Give the compost enough time to process - in other words, don’t try to use it before it has had a chance to fully break down.
* Alternate layers of greens and browns.
* Avoid adding walnuts, treated wood, oils, or large amounts of coffee grounds.
Learn More
Learn more about composting…
* Check out Greener Grove’s Composting page on our website, including the how-to videos.
* Read this earlier Greener Grove blog post on composting.
Visit your local library for books on composting, including The Rodale Book of Composting, Deborah L. Martin and Grace Gershuny, Editors.
Take Action
Start with reducing food waste: Over the next several weeks, monitor whether or not you are consuming what you purchase and/or grow before it spoils. Then, if necessary, course correct through strategies like planning out menus based on the time you have available to cook each week and purchasing only what you need for those menus.
What You Can Do:
* Start composting at home. Select a composting solution that matches your lifestyle and type of residence. For Downers Grove residents, if you need guidance, sign up for Greener Grove’s Compost Coaching!
* If composting at home is not an option, sign up for curbside recycling. For Downers Grove residents that have curbside pickup, our new garbage contract includes free curbside composting pickup. Learn more here.
* Check out Urban Canopy’s composting services, especially if you do not have curbside pickup.
* If you work for an organization that does not offer composting in their lunchroom, start a grassroots composting club to bring composting to your workplace! Urban Canopy offers commercial composting services, too.
