Section 2: Zero Waste Kitchen & Food
Composting:
Closing the Loop on Food Waste
Quick Links
Composting for Beginners:
Close the Loop and Cut Your Waste
Ready to make a powerful small change? Composting is one of the most effective steps you can take toward food waste reduction and a truly sustainable lifestyle. Don’t let the idea of home composting intimidate you—it’s just nature doing its job!
This simple tutorial demystifies the process, helping you turn kitchen scraps into “black gold” for your plants.
What is the Food Waste Loop
The food waste loop is the most satisfying cycle in a zero-waste lifestyle. Instead of sending organic material to a landfill (where it generates harmful methane gas), you take the food scraps you don’t eat (fruit peels, coffee grounds, eggshells) and place them in a system that turns them back into nutrient-rich soil. You then use that soil to grow new plants, which produce more food, thus closing the loop!
The Simple Science:
Greens and Browns
The Golden Rule:
2 parts Browns to 1 part Greens by volume.
To successfully learn how to compost, you just need to remember the two main ingredients:
Ingredient | Category | Example Materials | Purpose in the Compost |
Greens (Nitrogen) | Wet, fresh materials. | Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, grass clippings. | Provides the nitrogen needed to heat up the pile and encourage decomposition. |
Browns (Carbon) | Dry, woody materials. | Dried leaves, shredded cardboard, brown paper bags, sawdust, wood chips. | Provides carbon, adds texture, and creates air pockets for a healthy mix. |
Can you image Black GOLD from Scraps!!
You are doing great!