Composting is an activity that will not only save you money, but it is also extremely beneficial for your backyard garden and the environment!

Composting is the process of breaking down organic materials, through decomposition, into a natural, nutrient-rich fertilizer with soil-like composition. Composting reduces the need for expensive chemical fertilizers which cause soil erosion, nutrient runoff and water contamination. Did you know that some fertilizers may even be placing your family at risk? Natural compost, on the other hand, can be used to sustain healthier plant growth without all the harmful side effects. And the best thing about compost is that it’s free!

Composting not only diverts waste from landfills, but it also cuts down on your waste disposal fees. Did you know that composting further helps the environment by reducing harmful greenhouse gases? The breakdown or organic material in landfills is anaerobic (without oxygen), which results in harmful methane greenhouse gases being produced. Composting, on the other hand, is an aerobic process that does not produce methane.

Depending on the volume of organic waste, and the space you have available, there are 3 main ways that you can compost: compost heap, compost bin, or tumbling composter.

Compost heaps are created by home-owners with a significant amount of space, such as those living in rural areas. The basic premise of a compost heap is that brown materials that are high in carbon (paper, dry leaves, straw) are layered with green ingredients that are high in nitrogen (fruit and vegetable peels, grass clippings, fresh leaves/weeds). This heap is occasionally turned using a shovel/pitchfork to ensure that the entire heap is well oxygenated.

The use of an upright compost bin is meant for those with less space. The same rules apply as for a compost heap, but on a smaller scale. A tumbling tool is often used to turn the compost pile, to ensure it receives sufficient oxygenation. An example of an upright composter is Terra composter.

Finally, the use of a tumbling composter is for urban homeowners with little space who want a less labour-intensive way to tumble small compost piles.

For example, Algreen’s Terra Tumbling Composter comprises a barrel on an easy-to-turn axel; this allows for the entire heap to be turned with little effort. This particular tumbling composter also comes with a dual-batch option, which allows for two small 30 gallon batches to be maintained and tumbled separately. The smaller batches decrease the time to create compost to a matter of weeks. This is because smaller, uninterrupted batches tend to decompose faster than larger batches (which constantly have new material added to them).