Can Compost Save Can Compost Save Planet Earth?Planet Earth?An urbanite’s guide to recycling An urbanite’s guide to recycling organic matterorganic matter

What’s Wrong with this What’s Wrong with this Picture?Picture?

Where Does it Go?Where Does it Go?

The City’s Secret The City’s Secret CompostCompost

Two-Stroke Engines: A Two-Stroke Engines: A World-Wide ScourgeWorld-Wide Scourge

Leaf blower compared to Leaf blower compared to automobile:automobile:

145 times more hydrocarbons145 times more hydrocarbons

7.5 times more carbon monoxide7.5 times more carbon monoxide

11 times more particulate matter11 times more particulate matter

Unacceptable noise levelsUnacceptable noise levels

Source: California EPA, 2000Source: California EPA, 2000

A Culture of PollutionA Culture of Pollution

Filling lawn mowers spills Filling lawn mowers spills more fuel every year more fuel every year than the Exxon Valdex – than the Exxon Valdex – 17 million gallons 17 million gallons every every dayday

Spilled gasoline produces Spilled gasoline produces 87 million tons of 87 million tons of pollutionpollution every dayevery day

Source: U.S. EPASource: U.S. EPA

Landfills: What a WasteLandfills: What a Waste

Yard trimmings and Yard trimmings and food scraps comprise food scraps comprise 45 percent of 45 percent of material sent to material sent to landfillslandfills

Anything that was Anything that was once alive – yard once alive – yard trimmings, food trimmings, food scraps – can b scraps – can b composted insteadcomposted instead

Saving Planet EarthSaving Planet Earth

Who is this Man? Who is this Man? (and why did he (and why did he

care so much about earthworms?)care so much about earthworms?)

The Truth About WormsThe Truth About Worms

1 million earthworms 1 million earthworms per acreper acre

1,000 tons of 1,000 tons of castings per acre castings per acre each yeareach year

Worm castings are a Worm castings are a valuable fertilizer, valuable fertilizer, high in plant nutrients high in plant nutrients and beneficial and beneficial microbesmicrobes

Compost = Nature’s Compost = Nature’s Recycling SystemRecycling System

Compost and FertilityCompost and Fertility

The Worldwide Search for The Worldwide Search for FertilizerFertilizer

The Haber-Bosch ProcessThe Haber-Bosch Process

Artificial Fertilizer: Artificial Fertilizer: Blessing or Curse?Blessing or Curse?

Gulf of Mexico Dead ZoneGulf of Mexico Dead Zone

Modern Homeowners Modern Homeowners Embrace Haber’s ProcessEmbrace Haber’s Process

Chesapeake Death ZoneChesapeake Death Zone

The Ultimate IronyThe Ultimate Irony

Backyard CompostingBackyard Composting

A Basic FormulaA Basic Formula

““Greens” and “Browns”Greens” and “Browns”

Equal parts green Equal parts green materials – such as materials – such as grass clippings – and grass clippings – and brown materials – brown materials – such as leavessuch as leaves

WaterWater Aerate (turn)Aerate (turn)

Carbon/Nitrogen RatioCarbon/Nitrogen Ratio

Ideal: 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogenIdeal: 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen Don’t worry if you can’t remember this Don’t worry if you can’t remember this

formulaformula Kitchen waste: 15/1Kitchen waste: 15/1 Horse manure: 30/1Horse manure: 30/1 Leaves: 55/1Leaves: 55/1 Sawdust: 440/1Sawdust: 440/1 Carboard: 500/1Carboard: 500/1

How Compost Happens: How Compost Happens: The DecomposersThe Decomposers

Benefits of CompostBenefits of Compost•Improves soil structure•Feeds vital soil organisms•Slowly releases plant nutrients•Increases water retention•Balances soil pH•Encourages healthy root systems•Helps suppress plant diseases, reduce need for pesticides

Things to CompostThings to Compost

Animal manure Animal manure Cardboard rolls Cardboard rolls Clean paper Clean paper Coffee grounds and filters Coffee grounds and filters Cotton rags Cotton rags Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint Eggshells Eggshells Fireplace ashes Fireplace ashes Fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables Grass clippings Grass clippings

Hair and fur Hair and fur Hay and straw Hay and straw Houseplants Houseplants Leaves Leaves Nut shells Nut shells Sawdust Sawdust Shredded newspaper Shredded newspaper Tea bags Tea bags Wood chips Wood chips Wool rags Wool rags Yard trimmings Yard trimmings

What Not to CompostWhat Not to CompostBlack walnut tree leaves or twigs

Releases substances that might be harmful to plants

Coal or charcoal ash Might contain substances harmful to plants

Dairy products (e.g., butter, egg yolks, milk, sour cream, yogurt) Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

Diseased or insect-ridden plants Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants

Fats, grease, lard, or oils Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

Meat or fish bones and scraps Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies

Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter) Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans

Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides

Basic Composting BinsBasic Composting Bins

Minimum 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft Minimum 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft to generate heatto generate heat

Accessible for turningAccessible for turning Not too largeNot too large Wire, wood, concrete Wire, wood, concrete

blocks, straw balesblocks, straw bales Above ground or in a pitAbove ground or in a pit Covered or not coveredCovered or not covered

Wire BinsWire Bins

Wooden BinsWooden Bins

Masonry BinsMasonry Bins

Composting in PlaceComposting in Place

Large-Scale CompostingLarge-Scale Composting

Compost from Tree Compost from Tree WasteWaste

Kitchen ScrapsKitchen Scraps

Alternative Bin: Trash Alternative Bin: Trash CanCan

Manufactured BinsManufactured Bins

Composting with Composting with Manufactured BinManufactured Bin

Avoid Odors & VerminAvoid Odors & Vermin

Maintain aerobic conditions – not too Maintain aerobic conditions – not too moistmoist

Use sealed containers if composting Use sealed containers if composting kitchen scraps – or refrain from kitchen scraps – or refrain from composting calorie-dense foodscomposting calorie-dense foods

Problem: WinterProblem: Winter

Composting with WormsComposting with Worms

Worm BinsWorm Bins

Automatic CompostingAutomatic Composting

Built-in electric Built-in electric elementelement

Composts all food Composts all food scraps (including scraps (including meat & dairy)meat & dairy)

5 kwh per month5 kwh per month

Bokashi CompostingBokashi Composting

Anaeorobic Anaeorobic fermentationfermentation

Layers of wheat branLayers of wheat branComposts meat & Composts meat &

bonesbonesDrain off liquidDrain off liquidUse in garden or Use in garden or

compost pilecompost pile

Thank you!Thank you!

The Slow CookThe Slow Cook

www.theslowcook.comwww.theslowcook.com

D.C. Urban GardenersD.C. Urban Gardeners

www.dc-urban-gardeners.comwww.dc-urban-gardeners.com

D.C. Public WorksD.C. Public Works

www.dpw.dc.govwww.dpw.dc.gov