Compost...why not?

I remember sitting in the backyard watching my dad shovel fowl smelling goop from one pile to the next. Then a few weeks later we'd go out again to shovel it back and forth a few times, and were welcomed with this luscious, amazing smelling soil. Why don't we all compost? It's easy, and keeps tons and tons of garbage out of the landfills each year.


Ottawa is aiming to have citywide compost service by the end of 2008. The Green Box projects will hopefully begin to spread through the larger centers and trickle down to the smaller cities. Do you're part! Put aside a small area in your yard, a small sacrifice to make to save the tons of organic matter YOU will dispose of in your lifetime.
A small compost bin can be easily built. Then as the organic matter decomposes, you must stir it around once in a while to allow for oxygen to reach everything and help with the breakdown. The easiest way I found is to have a light compost bin that I lift off the pile, place beside it and simply shovel the pile back into the bin. It is important to have it a good distance from your house, in case of odors.

According to statistics Canada, the main (and almost only) downside to compost is odors and the occasional pest. I have had my compost going for 2 years and have seen one mouse, that is all. Oh, and a bunch of really strange interesting bugs that help with the decomposition. I was shocked at how easy it was. I go out once a month, in the winter once every couple months, or the first change I get with god weather, and move my bin around. Every time I do this I am amazed at the changes in the items inside and the amount of actual soil that has been created. If you are not a gardener, give/sell it to a friend who has a green thumb! This is premium soil that you are creating with...basically GARBAGE!!!

Help out, save the planet for our next generations. You think just you won't make a difference? Imagine how much waste you produce over 70-100 years of your life? Aim for one garbage bag on the curb every week. If you lived to be 80, that is still over 3,000 bags of garbage. Most families put out 3 or 4 bags a week...and people wonder why the environment is in trouble!



If these kids can do it, so can you! Making it a part of your children's life will help them compost and recycle in the future. They will have it as part of their routine when they are adults, teaching their own children.