Most of us have grown up hearing about grandma’s home remedies for colds and coughs. There are ways to use common household items for better skin and hair, or cleaning clothes, or better ways of cooking food and much more that are shared in many magazines and newspapers. Therefore it may be safe to say that many of our daily household items are treasures just waiting to be discovered.
Another process that is popular in many households is to compost organic waste like leftover peels, unused vegetable parts and used tea leaves to use as fertiliser for household plants — indoors or outdoors.
Food waste forms a major portion of any city’s solid waste, and takes up tremendous space in landfills. Moreover, stale food left in the open attracts bacteria that generate poisonous gases like methane. Methane is one of the major greenhouse gases and contributors to global warming. However, when composted, the same food waste can be converted into soil fertiliser, which can replace chemical fertilisers that are needed from time to time for our household plants to grow.
Using simple composting techniques helps save other energy resources like fuel and electricity which are otherwise used heavily in the manufacture of chemical fertilisers and their transportation.
Needless to say, composting also helps reduce the chances of pollution — air, water and land, that are a part of any manufacturing process.
Have you ever thought what our ancestors used before the present day chemical fertilisers were introduced, especially considering the fact that they were mostly farmers? There are many composting methods — some traditional and some modified — thanks to the growing interest and research in these areas. One traditional method is to use compost worms in the presence of oxygen, which break down food and natural waste. Almost every country has its own techniques and methodologies.
Some things that can be composted are vegetable trimmings, fruit peels, egg shells, used tea leaves, dried leaves, paper and tissue paper. Some things that cannot be composted include leftover bones, oils, and dairy products.
We can easily use any old plastic container for composting. An effective compost pile needs plenty of oxygen, hence we need to provide openings or holes in the container by drilling rows of holes along its periphery.
After putting the leftovers in the container and adding materials like paper and wood shavings, water needs to be added until the mixture is damp. Too much water will cause the material to rot and smell. The compost bin also needs need heat to aid the process, hence should be placed in an area of sufficient sunlight. It is important to stir the compost once a week and add new material regularly. The entire process takes from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending upon the amount of input material and environmental conditions. Ready compost is dark brown, with a crumbly texture and smells like fresh soil.
How about trying this out?
(Sindhu Ramachandran is a documentary filmmaker and a creative writer who contributes to unboxedwriters.com)