Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
what do you compost? all food, napkins? i'm using a composting barrel, and i've been told not to compost meat, but i've read that people do.
No meat, no citrus skins -- composter doesn't get hot enough to break them down -- but most other types of leftover food, provided it's not too greasy, yes. Napkins and other food-contaminated paper, yes. It's important to ensure there is enough brown waste in your backyard compost pile to prevent odor and discourage animals.
No meat, no citrus skins -- composter doesn't get hot enough to break them down -- but most other types of leftover food, provided it's not too greasy, yes. Napkins and other food-contaminated paper, yes. It's important to ensure there is enough brown waste in your backyard compost pile to prevent odor and discourage animals.
i've got plenty of brown waste from leaves and small sticks and i can always bag my grass if i needed it. ok, you've inspired me to kick it into the next gear!
i've got plenty of brown waste from leaves and small sticks and i can always bag my grass if i needed it. ok, you've inspired me to kick it into the next gear!
Well then you should be just fine! I struggle to come up with enough brown waste, particularly at this time of year. And because we're having such a warm winter here in Colorado, I can't depend on the cold to freeze the green waste and prevent odor.
what do you compost? all food, napkins? i'm using a composting barrel, and i've been told not to compost meat, but i've read that people do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by randomparent
No meat, no citrus skins -- composter doesn't get hot enough to break them down -- but most other types of leftover food, provided it's not too greasy, yes. Napkins and other food-contaminated paper, yes. It's important to ensure there is enough brown waste in your backyard compost pile to prevent odor and discourage animals.
You can also add coffee grounds and tea bags, paper towels, some people compost shredded newsprint (not the slick inserts), basically almost anything that has a vegetable base.
Do not add pet waste but cow and horse manure is good and will kick start a compost pile.
I've found really woody waste (sticks larger than 1/2 your little finger around) take forever to break down and I have a particular issue with pine needles just sitting there.
I've found really woody waste (sticks larger than 1/2 your little finger around) take forever to break down and I have a particular issue with pine needles just sitting there.
Leaves compost real fast if they're shredded.
Woody waste/brush and pine needles compost much faster if you shred it through a chipper. There aren't many deciduous trees in my area, so spruce slash makes up the large portion of brown (carbon) waste in my compost instead of fall leaves. I just have to make sure I add enough green (nitrogen) waste to balance it out. Biggest issue with pine needles/spruce slash is that it can make the compost acidic, so we have to balance it with lime or wood ash.
As to the OP - I think plastic is the best material for certain applications, so won't/shouldn't be entirely eliminated; but I also agree that there is much indiscriminate use/overuse of plastic where it is completely unnecessary or another material would be adequate or superior. I'd like to see more conscientious use and waste handling of plastics instead of it being deemed "disposable" without a second thought (or even a first one!)
Woody waste/brush and pine needles compost much faster if you shred it through a chipper. There aren't many deciduous trees in my area, so spruce slash makes up the large portion of brown (carbon) waste in my compost instead of fall leaves. I just have to make sure I add enough green (nitrogen) waste to balance it out. Biggest issue with pine needles/spruce slash is that it can make the compost acidic, so we have to balance it with lime or wood ash.
As to the OP - I think plastic is the best material for certain applications, so won't/shouldn't be entirely eliminated; but I also agree that there is much indiscriminate use/overuse of plastic where it is completely unnecessary or another material would be adequate or superior. I'd like to see more conscientious use and waste handling of plastics instead of it being deemed "disposable" without a second thought (or even a first one!)
I get to the point of diminishing returns with my shredder and wood waste. The pine needles are what I feel like doing and spending time on, the shredder doesn't really do a good job on them.
I often pick up bags of used coffee grounds from my local Starbucks. There's usually a big bin of them right by the front door, free for the taking.
Didn't now about this until now. I saw it last night at my local starbucks, but the barrel that had them back in original bags. It was tucked behind a bookcase and by the bathroom, so not easy to see/find.
I think that was my third time going to a Starbucks - my wife goes a lot to meet clients there...
Coffee grounds make great fertilizer, especially for palm trees.
Somehow I think I prefer coffee grinds to horse manure.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
