Let's Talk Trash: Why You Should Start Composting

The benefits of composting and sending your food waste to the landfill or down your disposal

We use Dirt Rich Compost here in Montana.

We have an expression around here at our house,

“Perfection is the enemy of good.”

It’s hard to be perfect. But it’s not so hard to be GOOD.

When trying to do the right things for the planet- to be good- where do you even begin?

An electric car, recycling, reusable shopping bags, avoid buying plastics, making food at home?

It can be overwhelming.

I’m certain many well meaning people just do one or two things and then say, “Forget it. It’s too much to think about. The one change I make isn’t going to save the planet. “

Or we just fall into bad habits- buying drinks in plastic containers we could make at home- i.e. iced tea, lemonade. Not using veggies we buy and tossing them. Using paper napkins instead of linen.

We found this ceramic pot at the hardware store- its really for pickles, but it’s perfect for kitchen scraps

Ways to reduce waste in your home

buy laundry powder- not liquid in a plastic bottle
use linen napkins and toss in the wash instead of paper
grow your own herbs instead buying in plastic containers
unplug small appliances when not in use
reduce junk mail by adding your name to the National database here
always keep your reusable grocery bags in your car
request your fruit/meat be wrapped in paper and not plastic or foam trays from the butcher at the store
reuse glass jars and avoid buying plastic
make your own cleaner by using alcohol, white vinegar and essential oils like peppermint

I have found one new habit that has completely changed how much garbage I now put out on the curb. It is a simple change that has a profound affect on our landfills and the amount of methane released into to the air.

It’s a good.

Composting.

I’m not talking about buying some huge bin and having food waste in your back yard. I’m talking about a service that comes right to your house every week and picks up your kitchen scraps, unbleached and paper and food waste.

It’s about the easiest thing you could imagine.

The service is about $30 per month. It has dramatically reduced the amount of trash I put on the curb.

Instead of throwing leftovers, spolied food or vegetables peels and waste into the trash (or the disposal) I now put everything into a small container on my kitchen counter and then once or twice a week ( or more) dump it all in a heavy duty plasctic bin lined with a compostable liner. I take it to the curb every Friday and O-Town Compost swings by, picks it up and leaves me a new liner.

In Montana, we use Dirt Rich Composting. Same thing- different bucket. they come right to my garage door every week.

Alissa Lachance, the owner of Dirt Rich, explained to me that food waste that goes into the landfill does not breakdown as you might think. It is starved of oxygen that is needed to break it down. It actually creates methane which contributes to an increase in greenhouse gases. The food waste also “leaches” into groundwater creating a toxic liquid.

Instead of going into the landfill, this mountain of limes will become compost for someone’s farm or garden.

About 81 billion pounds of food waste goes into our landfills every year. By composting, we can reduce that number, create incredibly rich compost soil for farms and gardens that will, in turn ,grow healthier food by replenishing our topsoil.

Here is a great tool for how you can make changes to your household waste to create a greener and healthier planet. You don’t have to be prefect. Just try to be good.