By Barbara Allen
 

Last week I talked about the mummified trash in our overburdened landfills. This trash is 65% Biodegradable or compostable material – that is paper, food waste, yard waste and other organic material. The other 35% is metal, plastic, construction materials, glass, wood and hazardous waste.

This means that well over half of the material in a landfill could be turned back into humus through composting. But as it is now, this material is compacted to remove the air and moisture, so much of the biodegradable material remains intact almost indefinitely. We are mummifying our trash.

We have an alternative to this. We can compost it.  It doesn’t take a scientist to make compost. If you pile leaves and weeds in a heap in a corner of your yard and leave them alone for a year most of the pile will have turned into black fluffy soil. If you choose to compost your vegetable and fruit you can get information from your local extension agent or off the internet. It’s not hard, it just takes knowledge of what works well and what doesn’t. I keep a pile of NON-evergreen leaves (from trees that lose ALL their leaves in the fall), straw, hay or other “brown” material, next to my bin and every time I add kitchen scraps I cover them with dry “brown” material. (I don’t use meat scraps or grease – they tend to attract critters!). I turn the whole thing upside down and inside out about once a month with a pitch fork and harvest the finished material on the bottom – usually about 6 or 8 inches worth.  There are many ready-made compost bins on the market that will help you keep the whole process neat if you don’t feel up to building a bin yourself. In no time at all you will have a never-ending supply of rich, nutritious mulch to add to your garden or your potted plants. I love the feeling that I am turning something that might be clogging up a landfill into black soil that’s healthy for my plants and good for the environment in general.

I have a friend on the West Coast who uses an interesting recycling method with kitchen scraps. He lives in a fairly rural area and does what he calls “Strew Composting”. He described it to me recently in an email: “I throw (strew) the stuff everywhere, in the bushes, into the grass. The more spread out it is the better, like throwing rice at a wedding. Stinky fridge stuff too. You would think it would stink but like fish fertilizer it smells only briefly. Air, sun, rain and animals including bugs are what work to make the smells dissolve. The outdoors just seems to swallow it. Like a tree dropping leaves. If your yard is barren because of human activities then it would be challenging and this approach would not work. But it works for nature and that is what the trees, animals and bugs do.” 

In some cities around the country businesses have developed that are composting yard waste and ground-up clean lumber scraps and turning them into mulch. This material is then sold by the bag and truckload to homeowners and landscapers. Schools are creating composting projects to recycle paper, yard waste and waste food from cafeterias. This compost is then added to the schools shrub and flower beds to improve the soil and retain moisture.

If each of us began a composting program at home and in our schools, we would keep millions of tons of material out of the landfills (remember that 65% of our waste is biodegradable!). Let’s turn all this waste material into something useful for our environment instead of a deficit!

11 Things to Never Buy Again

Here is a list put out by Co-op America (coopamerica.org)

Styrofoam (polystyrene): Styrofoam is not biodegradable. Each year Americans use enough styrofoam to circle the earth 436 times.

Alternatives: Use paper cups for both hot and cold drinks. Best option: Carry a reusable mug.

Paper towels: Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space and your money.

Alternatives: Buy dishtowels or rags. Best option: Turn old clothes into rags.

Bleached coffee filters: Dioxins are formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminating groundwater and air. These chemicals are linked to cancer in humans and animals.

Alternatives: Buy unbleached filters. Best option: Buy a reusable coffee filter, which can last for several years.
 
Teak and mahogany: Every year 27 million acres of tropical rainforests are destroyed. That's an area the size of Ohio. While rainforests cover only 2% of the earth, they are home to over half of the world's wild plant, animal and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40% of the world's oxygen.

Alternatives: Buy only wood that has been sustainably harvested from Europe, North America and Japan. Express to manufacturers and distributors that you don't want wood products that harm the rainforests. Best option: Reuse wood. Buy furniture and other products made from salvaged wood.
 

Chemical pest killers: The EPA has found at least 73 pesticides in the groundwater of 32 states. Americans use an estimated 2.7 billion pounds on our soil every year.

Alternatives: Replace chemical pesticides with organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth. Best option: Practice integrated pest management. Plant in line with environmental constraints. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.

Chemical glass cleaners: Chemical glass cleaners contain harmful ammonia.

Alternatives: Instead, buy biodegradable, non-toxic, all purpose cleaners. Best option: Use white vinegar mixed with water, one part each. Wipe windows down with newspaper.

Plastic bags and wraps: Each year, America produces ten pounds of these for every person on earth.

Alternatives: If you must buy plastic bags, get sturdy freezer bags and wash, rinse and reuse them. Best option: Use wide mouth glass canning jars and waxed paper bags.

Higher octane gas than you need: Only one car in 10 manufactured since 1982 requires high octane gasoline. Higher octane fuels release more hazardous pollutants into the air.

Alternatives: Buy the lowest octane gas required for your car, as listed in the owner's manual. Best option: Consider using alternative fuels or use public transit, bicycle or walk.
 

This column comes to you courtesy of the Environmental Concerns Group of the DeFuniak Springs Garden Club.