Great Lakes Green Pages

Cleveland has taken its time in rolling out our citywide recycling program.  I want to be ticked off about it, but how mad can you be when you have a balanced budget in these tough times?  Still, I hear that for every ton of waste we divert from landfill, we save money.  Did you know that our landfill is 40 miles away, but our recycling center is nearby?  So, in addition to tipping fees (that’s landfill drop off fees), Cleveland saves on gas, maintenance, tire wear and tear and a host of minute details.  That doesn’t even take into account the carbon reduction by driving less.  While we are only at about 11% of our waste being recycled, that is doubled from just a few years ago.  We have saved over a million dollars in tipping fees alone through our recycling program.  Cleveland actually “gets it” and is working hard to become one of our nation’s most sustainable cities.  That is due in no small part to a department added a few short years ago, called the Department of Sustainability.  headed up by Andrew Watterson, this department has more than paid for itself in savings and has identified numerous ways that Cleveland can move forward.  Andrew has made it clear that being sustainable makes good economic sense as well being good for the planet.  Check out the story on the ICLEI website to see other ways the city is saving money and energy.

So as we finally roll out the citywide recycling program over the next few years, why not take it a little bit further.  The new program calls for each home having 2 rolling trash cans.  One will be for garbage and one for recycling.  These two cans will go out to the curb every week and the contents picked up.  So I propose we follow the lead of San Francisco and add a third: composting. They have added the green bin to their line up and pick up all organic waste (except pet poo). That means bones, pizza boxes, paper goods that are food soiled, scraps, are all being turned into new compost to benefit farmers and vineyards. Doesn’t that already happen in the landfill? The short answer is no. For composting to work, it has to have all layers getting oxygen to promote the decomposition process. Aside from the plastics and Styrofoam that go into the landfill that don’t break down, landfills are packed tightly and covered. This allows only the top layer (if any) to decompose. If you dig into a landfill, you can find food that is 50 years old that looks like it was thrown out last week, because no air gets to those layers. So why not divert some of that organic material and make compost that could be used in growing new local crops. More compost adds rich nutrients to soil, decreasing or eliminating the need for fertilizers-which don’t come cheap. Since we will likely wait a while before Cleveland adds composting to its curbside pick up, you will have to do it yourself.

As part of our move to zero waste (or as close as one can come in a modern world) we are gong to add composting to our lifestyle. While I admit there is less waste for our small household than many bigger families, we can still do better. I have looked all over the internet and found lots of fancy composting containers and expensive options. What is best for us, and what offers the most economical option? When choosing a way to compost, you have a few things to consider. How much room do you have? How neat do you want it to be? How much waste do you generate? How long is your warm season? What local regulations are there? How much money do you want to spend? How much effort do you want to put into this chore? By answering these questions, you can start to narrow down the options.

Composting can be as easy as starting a pile. While this is the cheapest way to go, piles require tending. To keep the pile decomposing, you have to turn the contents to provide oxygen to all the layers. It also can be a little ugly. The next cheapest option is the home made bin. Bins can be made from a variety of materials from used pallets to chicken wire. Even an old garbage can can be used-simply drill lots of holes in the sides and bottom. The important thing is to make it about 3 foot cubed. This will allow for air flow and ease of tending. Like a pile, these options must be tended to make sure that air continues to get into the mix. If properly planned, though, they won’t need a full turning. The problem with these types of systems is that the oldest and most decomposed material ends up on the bottom. That means that to reach the material, you have to take all the top layers off, remove the compost, and then dump everything back in. In Cleveland, we have a fairly short growing season, so this system may make the most sense. If you compost all season, you can empty it in the fall. The compost can be spread around the garden and a new compost started for the next year. Trench composting may work for people with little waste, or for only highly organic material (like peelings and vegetable waste). Simply dig a fairly shallow trench in one area of the garden. As you fill it with compost, cover and let it decompose naturally. Other options include sophisticated systems that use worms to aid in decomposition or barrels that you can turn with a crank. This are all great, but can require more money to start out.

Composting requires a few simple rules. You can compost nearly anything organic, but avoid the meat and dairy. Meat and dairy are likely to smell and will likely attract rodents, so in Cleveland it is best avoided. Outside the city, or if you have a sizable chunk of property, then go right ahead. About a cubic foot is the ideal size, as it will keep the living organisms worm, but still allow for airflow. Air and water are key to composting. Keep the things you throw into your pile smallish and they will decompose better. The denser the ingredients, the smaller the pieces. Keep you pile moist, but not saturated. A dried out or waterlogged compost will kill off the beneficial organisms that are turning your waste to rich humus. Ingredients need to be a combination of nitrogen and carbon in order to break down well. Nitrogen rich materials are green stuff-grass clippings, peels, food scraps, etc. Carbon rich materials are brown stuff-dried leaves, branches, sawdust and the like. It is important to keep both of these components balanced. If you are adding too much green, even it out with things like paper and cardboard-just remember to make them smaller pieces (paper from your shredder is great). Other things that are high in nitrogen are coffee grounds and manure. Large additions (like a large amount of grass clippings) need to be added in layers to promote balance.

That is the basics. Want more detailed info? There is plenty on the web: Veg Web, How to Compost and Home Composting are great resources. Now that you are going to have a great amount of rich soil, why not start a Recession Victory Gardencare of Mama Goes Green?