November: A Great Month To Compost

Hello November!  In my mind November marks the start of the holiday season.  It’s like the unofficial countdown to Christmas.  Depending on where you live it’s officially cold  this month.  

There is so much to do in November.  We are gearing up for Thanksgiving.  After Thanksgiving there’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  November is most likely a busy month for most people.  So we have just one Eco-Friendly tip for you this month. And it’s a pretty easy one too. 

Composting

November is a great month to start (or continue) composting.  If you use pumpkins for Halloween decorations they might be at the point where it is time to toss them out.  Wait!  Don’t toss them in the trash.  You can compost them!

Benefits of composting

Composting has so many benefits besides producing black gold-the nutrient rich fertilizer that your plants will love.

You will also reduce waste.  A lot of what goes into our garbage cans at home is food scraps.  These food scraps end up in landfills.  A whopping 95% of Americans' food scraps end up in landfills.  As these food scraps biodegrade, they release methane gas.  Methane gas is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Composting will keep these food scraps out of landfills.

How to compost at home

Compost bin: sophiessustainables.com

First, choose a compost bin.  Then place food scraps in the compost bin.  You can place fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, and tea bags in your bin.  But, do not place bones, meat, oils, fats, or dairy in the compost bin.  These items produce awful smells and attract rodents and pests.  Try to keep items uniform in size.  You can cut items into small pieces for faster composting.  Smaller pieces will break down faster.

Don’t forget to turn your compost pile every once in a while to keep it aerated.  Also change your compost filter regularly, every 4-6 months to keep smells at bay and to repel fruit flies.

Compost bin filters: sophiessustainables.com

Cheers to November!