Black Gold Harvest: A Quick-Start Guide to Composting | Elliman Insider

Abstract

In addition to turning food waste into a nutrient-rich product known among gardeners as "Black gold," composting reduces the amount of organic material that ends up in landfills, which generates the greenhouse gas methane. If you've been meaning to start composting but haven't quite gotten around to it yet, there's no better time than now. "There are no fancy tools or materials that are required for composting," says Jessica Bombar, a representative from the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation in San Diego, Calif. "You can easily build your own backyard compost bin out of reclaimed wood. There are also pre-made composting bins you can order online, commonly made out of plastic which is durable for long-term use." Bombar suggests starting with what the Solana Center calls the Kitchen Caddy Challenge: take a week to fill a container with food scraps, paper towels and other compostable material so that you can assess how much organic waste your household generates. "From there, you can pick your composting style based on the amount of material, space and time you have," she says. While the idea of welcoming worms into your home may be a dealbreaker at first blush, worm composting actually accelerates the breakdown of organic matter before it begins to smell rotten. The Solana Center offers a compost drop-off program to San Diego residents, and there are plenty of programs throughout the country, including GrowNYC, that collect the scraps and other organic matter. "No matter where you live, it is important to find a compost program or compost at home," said Bombar.