Composting, by definition, is the process of recycling various organic materials (usually considered waste products) to produce a soil conditioner known as compost. Rich in nutrients, this compost is then used to fertilize gardens, landscaping, horticulture, agriculture and organic farm products. Compost is also helpful as a soil conditioner, a natural pesticide, erosion control, and other uses such as wetland construction or land reclamation. Farmers have used composting processes for years by combining farm animal manure with straw or sawdust to condition soil used for crop growing.
The process of composting includes making a collection of wet organic matter such as leaves, grass, food scraps, etc and waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a few month period. Shredding the materials with the addition of water and aeration accelerates the decomposition process. Earthworms and fungi can further breakdown the nitrogen-rich materials and produce heat, ammonium and carbon dioxide.
Composting requires 3 basic ingredients:
Browns- materials such as dead leaves, branches and twigs. (carbon sources)
Greens- grass clippings, fruit scraps, vegetable wastes, and coffee grounds (nitrogen sources)
Water- in the right proportion to the Browns and Greens (moisture to break down the materials)
Proper composting utilizes equal amounts of Browns and Greens with alternating layers and sizes of each mixed with the water. Aeration is often done through rotation of the materials. Commercial composting bins allow residential composters to mechanically facilitate the process.
With the growing interest in sustainability, composting is taking on new forms, including toilets for recycling of human waste and the reduction of water used for public sewage. Properly set-up compost toilets have a very low ecological footprint. Replacing a flush toilet with a composting one can save more than 6,600 gallons per year for each person who uses the bathroom! Composting toilets operate much like home garden composting systems; they accelerate decomposition and evolve into a manageable, odorless waste material similar to commercial fertilizer found in a home and garden store.
Compost toilets can be used at home, for camping, boating and other locations where sanitary toilets may not be easily found. The attached article ( https://homeworthylist.com/best-composting-toilet-reviews/ ) provides a review of some of the top compost toilet products available along with guidelines on how the process works.
If you're ready to fully embrace sustainability and want to reduce your carbon footprint for future Earth inhabitants, then "Make Your Poo Work For You" by investing in a composting toilet !
