Section 2: Zero Waste Kitchen & Food
Composting:
Quick Start Guide
Quick Links
Your First Steps
- Start Small: Get a sleek, odor-proof countertop container to collect your daily fruit and vegetable scraps.
- Collect and Store: As you generate “Greens,” collect “Browns” (like junk mail or paper towel rolls). Tear them up into small pieces.
- Mix It Up: When you transfer your Greens to your city bin or outdoor pile, be sure to layer them with Browns. Never just dump a large batch of wet food scraps, as this leads to odor and a sluggish pile.
- Be Patient: Depending on your method, it can take anywhere from a few hours (electric) to a few months (outdoor pile) to create usable compost. Enjoy the feeling of knowing you’ve cut your environmental footprint just by closing your own food waste loop!
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Creative Composting
Embrace “Root-to-Stem” and “Nose-to-Tail” Cooking:
Don’t discard edible parts of food!
○ Vegetable Scraps Power-Up: Collect vegetable scraps (onion peels, carrot tops, celery ends, mushroom stems) in a bag in your freezer. Once full, use them to make a rich homemade vegetable broth! This is a fantastic kitchen waste tip.
○ Leftover Recipe Idea: Broccoli Stem Slaw: Peel the tough outer layer of broccoli stems, then julienne or grate them.6 Toss with a vinaigrette for a crunchy, refreshing slaw.