July 30, 2008

Put your trash to work

Composting saves landfill space, benefits environment

By KAREN J. BOOTHBY

kboothby@jacksonsun.com

Going green involves some brown.

Composting is championed as one way every person can helps conserve resources. “Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream,” according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site www.epa.gov/compost. “That’s a lot of waste to send to landfills when it could become useful and environmentally beneficial compost instead.”

The end result improves soil quality. “Compost binds with the soil particles in fine-textured clay soil, making these soils easier to work,” University of Tennessee plant and soil science professor David W. Sams states in the agricultural extension handout “Making and Using Compost.” “This also improves aeration, root penetration, water infiltration and availability.”

It’s a win-win situation. Less garbage in landfills and more nutrients to produce plants. The alternative to burning leaves and yard debris also helps air quality.

Green components include fruit and vegetable waste, egg shells, coffee grounds, grass clippings and horse and livestock manure. Brown elements include leaves, branches, twigs, paper, straw and pine needles. Air and water are essential ingredients. The goal is to have the right carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to promote decomposition.

Lynette Firles of Jackson is a longtime composting and organic gardening proponent. She cautions against adding meat to the decomposing matter. In addition to inviting animals to rummage, you can expect maggots rather than earthworms that help break down organic matter. Then, there’s the issue of unpleasant odors. Grease and oily food products also are discouraged for similar reasons and the time required to break down. Dog and cat feces are another no-no. It produces undesirable elements and can cause human health concerns.

One simple step Fields suggests is putting egg shells in the yard instead of the garbage can. “Birds will come and eat the shells” and gain the calcium, she said.

Court Kolter of Morris Nursery and Landscapes recommends adding an enzyme to the compost pile. Ask your local farmers’ co-op or gardening and landscaping supply stores.

“Without enzymes, it will just sit there and stink,” Kolter said. “It will break down, but the process will take a lot longer. A lot of our (foods) are picked green and treated with chemicals to slow down decomposition. Banana peels, for instance.”

Composting is part of master gardeners classes that Madison County extension agent Bill Wyatt teaches. The next training begins this fall. Meetings are monthly in Jackson. Call 668-8593 to enroll or get instructions on how to set up a compost bin.

“It’s also a great project to get kids involved,” Fields said. “Kids love to get dirty, and this is one time when Mom and Dad can’t get mad.”

Wood, wire and concrete blocks are suggested for construction of holding areas for the layers of organic matter. Special bins and tumblers are available on the Internet ranging from about $125 to more than $400. People Powered Machines’ Web site at www.peoplepoweredmachines.com offers several products and comparisons.

Agricultural settings work on a larger scale, usually with heavy equipment. Kolter suggests two holding areas: one for fresh straw, plant trimmings and manure; the other for the mature byproduct.

It takes several weeks to a year to turn raw materials into usable compost. For those who can’t wait, Jackson Energy Authority sells compost to the public for $20 a cubic yard at its facility at 167 Miller Ave., off Hollywood Drive near the U.S. 45 Bypass.

[via: Jackson Sun]