I grew up in a very agricultural area in California: Santa Cruz County. Surrounding Santa Cruz are a number of different agricultural capitols-strawberry, lettuce, artichoke. Santa Cruz County is also very environmentally aware and full of people who make every effort to live sustainably. You don't see this as much in Phoenix, though I do love that we get a huge recycling bin which gets picked up each week! I recently found out from a friend that Tempe also offers compost bins for free. All you have to do is call the city and ask for one to be delivered. They are essentially recycled garbage cans which they carve huge holes into, since you need exposure to air for composting (I think).
So yesterday morning, I went out to our car and this baby was sitting in our driveway.
I'll be honest: I am a little bit intimidated by the size of this compost bin. I haven't ever composted before, but it is something I have felt convicted about for awhile. I hate when I am cooking and I end up throwing away a bunch of stuff I know I could compost. I also know very little about composting.
Here's what I do know:
- You need a mixture of wet and dry parts and this has something to do with the chemicals released which help to break down the particles.
- You need some water to get it started. (Perhaps this is part of the "wet" ingredients?)
- You need air exposure.
- It helps to stir the compost-to blend all of its parts together.
And that's about it, folks! This will definitely be a learning process, but I would love it if you would offer any insights or learn along with me. My first step is going to be creating a compost "station" in our kitchen, where all of our compostable items will go for the day. After dinner, I will take it out to the compost bin, but that's really all I've got so far!
If you live in Tempe, call the city and get on board! We all have to do our part to live as good stewards of the gift we have been given: earth.
