You might think that when you throw away those fruit peels and some leftovers it gets composted in landfill. That is unfortunately not the case. Composting needs oxygen to start the process therefor a fully packed landfill isn’t the option. It can take years and years for an orange peel to break down in landfill while in a compost bin only takes a few weeks.
But composting at home can be a bit scary at first. I was holding back to composting because I thought it will stink and sinds we live in a small apartment it wouldn’t be a great think if that happens. After a bit of research I found the perfect way to compost at home. Here is how I do it.
First of all I keep my compost in a bowl. We eat vegetarian at home so we don’t throw any meat or animal waste in the compost. If we would do that the meat would start rotting and sinking and we really don’t want that to happen.
But we also don’t like to leave it on the kitchen counter therefor we leave it in the freezer or in the fridge. When compost gets cold it can’t start stinking either because the cold kills the aromas and the food scraps can’t start the composting process.
There are a few things that can and can’t go in the compost. Read more about it here.
But here are a few basics that are allowed:
- food scraps such as veggie and fruit leftovers, eggshells, herbs, tea leaf and coffee grounds
- plants and flowers that are not sick or moldy
- paper such as toilet paper, toilet rolls, newspapers or pizza boxes (only if it is not too greasy)
Here is what you are not allowed:
- animal meat or animal waste
- the sides of the cheese if it is made of synthetic materials
- coffee pads, capsules or tea bags if they are made of synthetic materials
- leftovers that are too greasy aren’t allowed either because they attract rats and other animals
When my bowl gets full I wrap it in a paper bag or plastic bag that I reuse multiple times to prevent the compost from falling in my tote bag. On my way to school I drop it off at one of the Vredestuin locations in Rotterdam where they compost it for their gardens where they grow vegetables. They have multiple locations in Rotterdam, check them out here.
Good luck with composting and let us know how you do it!
