Composting 101

Composting is an environmentally-friendly way to reuse organic waste. This waste is gathered outside in a pile and under the right conditions, it will decompose. The decomposition process happens because of millions of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi that live in the compost. The end result after composting is a rich, organic fertilizer that can be added to soil in gardens or other places where vegetation grows.

However, many people don’t realize there is more to composting than just choosing an area of land where fruit rinds and leftover food particles can be thrown and forgotten about.

Here are some things to take into consideration when starting a compost.

Aeration

The bacteria and microorganisms living in the compost require air. To aerate the compost, turn the material over with a pitchfork or shovel often.

Temperature

An efficient compost pile will produce temperatures upwards of 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature to ensure a healthy compost.

Water

Bacteria living in the compost needs sufficient water to survive. However, adding too much water can create a swampy mess. Judge based on appearance, and the more green material you put in, the less water you will need to add. For some large outdoor composts relying solely on rain water works.

Greens

Be sure to add grass clippings to the compost pile. Grass adds much needed Nitrogen to the pile.

5 Fast Ways To Clean Up Your Act And Start Limiting Your Water Use

Western culture uses too much water – it’s just that simple.  We take advantage of this resource and often take it for granted, but little things can go a long way – make some changes in your life and make the world a better place.

1) The average toilet flush usually consumes about 5 liters of water.  Here is a simple way to reduce this volume AND to do a little bit of recycling: Take an empty plastic bottle, fill it with water, seal it tightly, and leave it in the tank of your toilet; this will decrease the amount of water that fills in your tank and lower each flush.

2) You might have some leaks between the tank and the bowl – these slow and steady problems can be huge water wasters.  Check your toilet by placing some food coloring in the tank of the toilet after a few hours of not flushing check the bowl out; if the food coloring has seeped into the bowl then you know there is a leak somewhere.

3) There may be a leak or a drip somewhere else in your house.  Set aside a 2 hour block where there won’t be ANY water used.  Check your water meter at the beginning and end – if it isn’t exactly the same… then you might have a problem to find.

4) Sure, showers feel SO good sometimes, but did you know that even a four minute shower uses somewhere in the ballpark of 30 gallons of water?  Using a timer in the shower to limit the amount of time and water used can change your water bill and help the planet!

5) Relying on your garbage disposal unit at the kitchen sink is a fairly common thing in most households.  These units require water to work properly.  Instead of dumping so much food waste down the sink you should start a compost pile; now you’re saving water and preparing better options for your gardening endeavors for the future.

Snack Food Trying To Be A Little Greener

Sun Chips of Frito Lay is making quite the crunch this week.  From Facebook, to twitter, to the Wall Street Journal there is a steady buzz about all the noise that Frito-Lay has been making with their green line of snacks.  Sun Chips is definitely making positive strides toward a greener treat from their packaging to their actual products.

Seven months ago Sun Chips began mass distribution of their products in a newer noisier bag.  The bag is made out of a plant-based material, polylactic acid, and claims to fully decompose in about 14 weeks if put into hot active compost (pretty good compared to the nearly 100 years it takes typical chip bags).  The polymer used to make the bags has a higher “glass transition temperature” which basically means that it’s more brittle than rubbery.

One of the current production plants for Sun Chips has also transitioned to Solar Energy to help lower their environmental impact.  In Modesto, CA 145,000 bags of Sun Chips are produced and ready to ship each and every day.  The plant in Modest is one of eight separate facilities that creates and packages the noisy treats; don’t get too excited because they have a long way to go, but their efforts should be celebrated for now.

Despite their green efforts, they have yet to make the transition to an organic product.  Perhaps that will be their next step.  Don’t let anybody trick you into thinking snacks like this are “healthy,” but Sun Chips are definitely less bad for you than some of their competition.

All-in-all, Frito-Lay is making some great steps in the right direction.  Hopefully people can ignore the noisy bag due to the positive impact that it can make over the alternatives.

For more eco-friendlier products, swing over to Organic Bug for everything from organic gluten free sweet brownie treats to jewelry made out of recycled glass!

Mother Nature’s Party Planner

This summer you are going to be throwing many lavish, fun amazing parties, right? Of course! Well to be a gracious host(ess) it is important to make sure that you are going green so that you know not only you but all of your thankful guests are helping reduce carbon emissions into the beautiful atmosphere. Check out some ways to stay on the environmentally side for your summer party hosting.

Ball Mason Jars

Although the upfront cost is more than plastic, the overall reward out gives plastic or paper cups a run for your money. Not only are these jars surprisingly sturdy and tough to break, they allow people to party without ditching their one time use paper or plastic cup. If you are hoping that people can get their names on them, then set out some masking tape and a sharpie, have people label them. After the party you can use the jars as leftover containers, flower or candle holders or even a pencil cup.

Recycle, of course

The morning after clean up can be much easier when you are using green goods. Not only can you quickly chuck the bottles and cans into recycling along with all of the necessary paper and throw away products.

Cloth Napkins

This is not only an amazing way to wow your guests by showing them your snazzy style, but also is a way to save money (in the long run) and to help out your environment by saving a couple trees. It adds a true element of elegance to the party for everyone to enjoy. Throw them in the washer and fold them for your next use.

Reuse those utensils

If you are on the party train to Greensville, then pack on some more and let it ride! Check out Preserve On The Go Cutlery ($5.50 for 8 sets, preserveproducts.com). It’s reusable, recyclable, made from BPA-free recycled plastic, and dishwasher-safe. Make sure to let your guests know that they are not the usual throw-away kind of plastic cutlery.

Compost your plates

Sometimes paper is the only way to go. You don’t want to risk breaking your nice plates or having to go out and buy mismatched plates from the thrift store. Only in this case, check out the green paper plate option. Preserve On the Go plates are compostable plates that let you chuck them straight into the composter.

Composting: Important or Not?

Most people understand that composting is a part of being green and sustainable. But if you asked them the reasons that it is important and the ways that it is beneficial to the environment, they don’t always know what to say. They may do the math and think that food that gets thrown away in the trash gets to the landfill and there gets composted on its own. And here they basically come to the conclusion that composting food is a waste of their energy. Wrong.

If and when food does biodegrade in a landfill, what comes of that biodegrading process does not benefit anything and even if it could, it would be contaminated otherwise by the elements surrounding it in the landfill. Usually people that compost food use the end product as a fertilizer, sometimes called “black gold”, an ultra plant healthy nutrient mix that naturally occurs and is created through the composting process.

Another consideration is that organic matter or food in this case, does not always break down in the same way. Bacteria have different ways of decomposing or digesting  its hosts. When in a landfill, things get buried and the environment surrounding the food becomes airless, therefore creating what is called an anaerobic decomposition. This kind of decomposition releases CO2, and methane– which are both powerful greenhouse gasses as we all know.

So next time you are rethinking your decision whether or not to compost your food, or even if you need to brush up on the info for friends who just don’t understand: composting is a vital part of our ecosystem and isn’t wasted energy but in fact the saving of it.