The Beginning of a New Composting Journey

The concept of Composting is not new to me. A couple of years ago, I did compost my kitchen waste in a regular plastic pot on the balcony of my apartment. Much has happened since then.

The virus had taken over much of 2020, and almost all of 2021, I was back home in India. Since there is more space back home to try different composting techniques and person who helps with the garden, composting happens without anyone knowing that the kitchen waste is being composted. Every 15 days, the contents of the composter are dumped into a hole in the ground, until the bin is ready to be emptied again, a second hole in the ground is dug.  And every time the compost bin is being started over, earth worms are introduced in to the bin. The process of composting in the ground is a much faster way of getting the composting to happen. But for those of us who enjoy our balconies, we compost with what we have and where we can find space.

After taking a year off from anything related to gardening and composting, due to the fact that I moved to another apartment and one with a smaller balcony, I am giving it a go again.

Why I compost my Kitchen Waste?

I feel guilty throwing all the kitchen peels and scraps into the trash bin. Knowing full well it is going to the incinerator if we are lucky or just filling up a landfill. And living in such a consumeristic society, the amount of trash we create is huge.

How do I compost on a balcony?

I will explain the entire process in a separate article dedicated to different ways of composting.

My favorite is using what is already available to you. I have a regular plastic pot, I drilled holes into it for ventilation and I use regular potting mix as my brown matter at the moment, because that is what I have. I do eventually intend to get some coco peat bricks, as it is easier than me finding leaves and paper here.

What will I do with the compost?  

Previously, I shared the compost with friends who had a garden going. But this time around, I think I will sprinkle some for the trees along the roadside in my neighborhood. Or find a government agency / department that accepts compost in its various forms.

Another option is the Make Soil Movement. I have registered to be a member of the Make soil movement, but have not used it so far. Maybe I can find someone who will accept compost.

What I have learned from Composting?

It is very rewarding to watch a pot full of kitchen scraps go down by a third in a couple of days.

Even with the various textures and such, everything will breakdown eventually.

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

With a little patience, effort and perseverance, we can all reduce the amount of trash that we send out to our landfills.

Composting is a way of life I chose to adopt as it does bring me a tremendous amount of joy.

Thank You for Reading!!!