Working to be Eco friendly
Submitted by Anonymous on October 2, 2009 - 3:30am.
Working to be Eco friendly by Mike Lehman | Enclosed Composting | For small-scale apartment composting, enclosed Bins are an option. The least expensive method is to build one yourself from a hallway closet in your apartment. Simply drill 1.5-cm aeration holes in rows at roughly 15-cm intervals around the closet. Line the closet with large trash bags or plastic sheets from the hardware store, block the lower part of the door with 1”by 12” pine boards(you can scavenge these from your fence or from a dumpster. Stack them to about three feet high. That’s about right.Fill the prepared closet with a mixture of high-carbon and high-nitrogen materials. Stir the contents occasionally to avoid anaerobic pockets and to speed up the composting process.
| What to Compost | | Material | Carbon/Nitrogen | Info | | table scraps | Nitrogen | add with dry carbon items | | fruit & vegetable scraps | Nitrogen | add with dry carbon items | | eggshells | neutral | best when crushed | | leaves | Carbon | leaves break down faster when shredded | | grass clippings | Nitrogen | add in thin layers so they don't mat into clumps | | garden plants | -- | use disease-free plants only | | lawn & garden weeds | Nitrogen | only use weeds which have not gone to seed | | shrub prunings | Carbon | woody prunings are slow to break down | | straw or hay | Carbon | straw is best; hay (with seeds) is less ideal | | green comfrey leaves | Nitrogen | excellent compost 'activator' | | pine needles | Carbon | acidic; use in moderate amounts | | flowers, cuttings | Nitrogen | chop up any long woody stems | | seaweed and kelp | Nitrogen | rinse first; good source for trace minerals | | wood ash | Carbon | only use ash from clean materials; sprinkle lightly | | chicken manure | Nitrogen | excellent compost 'activator' | | coffee grounds | Nitrogen | filters may also be included | | tea leaves | Nitrogen | loose or in bags | | newspaper | Carbon | avoid using glossy paper and colored inks | | shredded paper | Carbon | avoid using glossy paper and colored inks | | cardboard | Carbon | shred material to avoid matting | | corn cobs, stalks | Carbon | slow to decompose; best if chopped up | | dryer lint | Carbon | best if from natural fibers | | sawdust | Carbon | high carbon levels; add in layers to avoid clumping | | wood chips | Carbon | high carbon levels; use sparingly |
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| ~ Activate your compost. 'Activators' can be added to your compost to help kick-start the process and speed up composting. Common compost activator materials are: comfrey leaves, grass clippings, young weeds, well-rotted chicken manure. Mix in well and add one half gallon of water (don’t worry it gets absorbed into the mix
You are now ready to start helping the environment, in just four to six weeks your compost will be ready to take to your local Park or vacant lot to revive the top soil layer and help the earth recover Good luck in your new green hobby | | | | | |
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