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“Kabhi socha hai, vo kudedaan me pheke hue kele ke chilke ka kya hota hai? Vo bache hue khaane ko phek dene ke baad uska kya hota hai? Compost shabd ke baare me suna hai?” (Have you ever thought what happens with the banana peel that you threw away in the dustbin? Have you ever thought what happens with the leftover food that you throw away? Ever heard of the term ‘compost’?)
Well, if you haven’t, it’s high time you do think about what happens with them. 68 million tonnes of food is wasted every year. This food ends up on the landfills being the reason of carbon emissions or enters the water bodies Harmon the life beneath. And somewhere, we all are part of adding numbers to this food wastage. The question is are you willing to do something about it or sit ducks and continue with the same perception, “To ham kya kare? Hamare akele ke karne se kuch nai hoga.” (What should I do about it? My individual actions won’t make any difference.) Yes they will. How? The one word answer to your incurious question is- Composting!
Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter such as leaves and food scrapes into a valuable fertilizer, that can enrich the soil and plants. The ‘compost’ thus formed is referred to by farmers as ‘black gold’. It’s actually pretty cool- microorganisms work together to break down the organic matter resulting in a rich manure. P.S. Not gonna lie but it smells a tiny bit too, eh, but you can bear it for the planet, right!?
Sharing my personal experience, the thought that we can turn this leftover food to something actually beneficial for the soil and plants did not even cross my mind. It was only when I came across the Instagram page of a very inspiring woman, Vani Murthy , who hails from Bangalore and is in her 60s, was I introduced to the world of composting. She’s a composting enthusiast, and she just makes composting look so easy and attractive! It seems as if she slays at composting. Her easy to follow tips are quite relatable to anyone while her small steps and conscious efforts in everything she does is really something commendable. If even 10% of the beings on this planet act as responsibly as her, the earth would be such a better place. Like, seriously!
The usual drill in starting your journey of making a compost is to separate the dry waste from the wet waste. Yeah yeah, don’t worry we’ll explain about the ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ waste terms too, you impatient beings!
‘Dry Waste’ comprises paper, glass, plastic, cardboard, styrofoam, rubber, metal, food packaging material, etc. whereas the ‘Wet Waste’ is all the kitchen waste that we produce- vegetable peels, used tea, fruits, leftovers- basically the real organic stuff that our compost would be composed of. Compost would be composed of, rhymes so smoothly, so satisfying. Isn’t it? Wait wait, don’t leave the page already, just adding in lame fillers to keep you excited enough to start composting.
Without any further blabbering, let’s get into the art of composting right away!
how To Compost?
Step 1- The Waste Segregation
The very basic step you have to start with it segregation of dry and wet waste that we threw light upon above. You can create two separate bins so that it makes it easier for you to segregate the waste. Well it was after a month of persuasion that my mother finally agreed to keeping two bins in the kitchen and that was an achievement indeed. I had to explain it to her the importance of why actually we are separating the waste and the plan behind to compost it. Collect waste in the bins for the whole day and viola, you’re done with the first step. Remember, the wet waste would be of use to you in the process of composting that we would talk about next!
Step 2- The Composting Bin
Once you’re done separating the waste, the next step is to choose an appropriate composting bin. So, what options do we have, hmmm, let’s see!
• Buy a composting bin online from Amazon, Flipkart or any online merchant service. There are many options available!
• Have some spare plastic containers laying around? No worries, you can repurpose these containers by simple making holes on the sides and on the bottom of the container for aeration. You can use either paint containers, old buckets or tubs, garbage cans, garden pots, etc.
• Another way is to make use of the old mud containers following the same process of making holes on the sides and the bottom.
• If you have a garden space in your home, you can dig a pit and throw the waste in the pit.
That’s it, so easy peasy. Once you’re done choosing the apparatus you want to use for composting, it’s time to move on to the next step!
Step 3- The ‘Waste Showdown’
You have now successful proceeded to the third step of composting where you start collecting the waste in the compost bin. A compost consists of browns and greens in a particular ratio that is essential for the compost to heat up and decompose the waste. Now, you might be wondering what exactly are the ‘browns’ and ‘greens’, right?
If you don’t know already, Browns consist of dried leaves, twigs, tree barks, sawdust, paper, cardboard, eggshells. They are rich in carbon which is an essential compound for all life forms and it acts as a food source for decomposers.
Greens consists of the vegetable and food peels, plant shoot and stems, food remains, vegetables, coffee grounds etc- basically the wet waste. They are rich in nitrogen which is essential for the growth and development in plants and animals.
So now that you know about the browns and greens, the art is to mix these two in a good ratio. Now if you search the internet, you’ll see that some say the ratio should be 3-4 parts browns to 1 part greens, some say it should be 50% greens and 50% browns, some say the greens should be more than the browns but I personally prefer the 50-50 ratio. It’s easy to follow and yields good results.
Start by layering the bottom of the bin with an inch of garden soil and an inch of compost (optional) and begin to add he browns and greens alternatively layer by layer. Repeat the process.
Once you’re done filling up the waste in the compost bin, cover the top with soil and compost and place a lid on the bin. Place a tray below the bin as well to ensure the excess water runs out. Every morning, you can check the tray and use that water again since it’s highly nutritious for the compost and will help retain the moisture content. Leave the rest of the job to the tiny warriors, the microorganisms and the microbes.
Step 4- The Compost Pampering
Yes, we know that you’re doing great with the process till now. We’re proud of the efforts you’re putting into the compost.
It’s of vital importance that an optimal level of moisture is maintained in the compost. It shouldn’t be too wet neither too dry, just the right balanced amount of moisture. The compost bin should be kept in a shady and dry area and should be protected by rain water at all costs. Else, it will destroy the compost. (I’ve suffered such an incident and we had to throw the entire compost.)
Giving a good mix to the compost frequently with a stick helps in aeration. It speeds up the process of decomposition and
We need to avoid adding certain materials that do not decompose easily and can slow down the decomposition process or reduce the quality such as- seeds, remains of plants, meat, dairy items and plastic.
Step 5- The Climax
Now that you have made sure everything runs smoothly, you need to wait for 2-3 months for the compost to be prepared. Trust me, the ‘black gold’ turns out to be amazing and you can store it in a carry bag or in a bin according to your convenience. Add the compost to your plants in small portions to provide essential nutrients to the plants and the soil as well. Yes the process requires time, but it is indeed worth the effort.
If you’re beginning with your journey of composting we would highly recommend you follow some amazing composters on Instagram, I’ll attach the links to their profiles below. They post amazing content regularly and their tips will be highly useful to you even if you’re a regular composter. Sonika Bhasin with her low-waste lifestyle and composting tips slays with her content on Instagram. Her son Abir surprisingly knows so much about composting and is a very bright kiddo indeed. You’ll certainly be awed by his cuteness and knowledge at such a young age. Ravneet Kaur an amazing composter and sustainable lifestyle enthusiastic. Pankti Pandey, a zero waste practitioner who has also bagged the ‘Forbes India’s Top 100 Digital Stars 2022’ recently. Daily Dump, with their engaging and helpful content centred around composting is indeed a great page to follow.
Ah, if you’re read till the end, much love to you. It means to committed to taking up the task of composting and do your part in saving the planet. In the end, it’s all bout the individual efforts and the positivity that comes with it. Happy composting eco-champs!
Also Read:
- A Love Story of the Streets with Gutka and Pan Masala Wrappers5 min read
- NCR Draft Plan 2041: Why are citizens worried and How to Help?8 min read
- Know How to Calculate your Carbon Footprint in 9 Easy Steps6 min read
- Tehri Dam: Pride for India and A Curse for People6 min read
- Point Of View: COP 277 min read
Shrishti Bajpai 
Archana Patel 
Very Insightful article, truly composting can be a great way to both reduce and reuse organic waste and make good natural fertilizer for our house plants.
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