I compost in plastic storage tubs, big, round 'muck buckets', 5 gallon buckets, big plant pots, etc. I drill holes on the bottom and sides, for drainage and airation. I put soil from the local recycling/composting center on the bottom, food scraps, shredded packing paper and shredded cardboard, alternating through those layers. Want to help save food waste? Ask a small, local grocer what they do with their unsaleable produce. If they say "well, we just throw it out" Then reply, "in that case, could I salvage it "for the animals" and "compost" to keep it out of the waste stream?" They might say "ok", as one local grocer did where I live. They were uncertian at first, not they're all too hap to give me around 3 boxes full EVERY WEEK. I salvage what I can, feed my pet rabbit what isn't too yucky and compost the worst of it. Last year, and for the last 3 years, every year I rescue pumpkins that are dumped in the Yard Waste pile at the town 'dump'. I make sure they're solid ones, with no damage. I bring them home, wash them, gut them, cut them up , cook them, and turn them into a year's worth of pumpkin soup and pumpkin muffins, all FOR FREE. If I have any shrunken & sprouting potatoes, I plant them, and I end up with fresh, organnically grown, edible, replacement potatoes in the fall. I grow them in the compost vessels I mentioned above. One doesn't need a yard, ground or garden, to grow their own food, just grow in containers. Another way to prevent food waste, is to eat small portions, so there's no uneaten food left on a plate. Buy food, with what you're going to do with it in mind, to prevent the waste of unused portions sitting around for days. For example, if you buy a bell pepper, how will you use it up b4 it spoils? I use 1/2 for fresh eating, like adding to salads, the other 1/2 I freeze, to add to hot/cooked dishes later. If your bread gets stale, or hard, don't throw it away. Use it to make bread crumbs, croutons, or French Toast. I make vegan French Toast, with any "scrappy" bread, such as extra dinner rolls, burger buns, sub rolls, etc., that are getting stale. I've even made French Toast, with stale bagels and English muffins. Make a meal plan, that way, you'll know exactly how much of what, you need every week. Home cooking, prevents landfill waste, by avoiding packaging for every meal, such as microwave meals or heat and eat meals come in. If you have any "farm" animals, such as chickens, rabbits, cattle, etc., give food scraps to them, then compost their manure. That way the scrap food feeds a critter b4, being composted, rather than being composted directly. Another idea, is to put unsaleable produce out in the woods in the winter to help wildlife no starve in the winter. There should be no scraping of plates into the trash ever. Only take what you can eat. Don't leave food on plates at restaurants either. Take some food atorage containers with you, to put what you can't eat in, and take it home. Decline dinner rolls, etc., if you think you won't be able to eat them all, as they'll throw out any rolls not taken. Freeze as much as you can. Start a food swap group, to trade what can't be used up in time, or put a Free Food Pantry table/fridge out near the road where passers by, can take surplus produce, or baked goods. There's so many ways to prevent food waste.
Compost is not limited to our food. Organic matter collected from the land and sent to landfills are equally harmful. The organic matter that falls onto the soil is meant to stay to feed the microorganisms that make healthful soil possible.
thank you I just need constant reminders so this was just so helpful. Thank you.
I compost in plastic storage tubs, big, round 'muck buckets', 5 gallon buckets, big plant pots, etc.
I drill holes on the bottom and sides, for drainage and airation.
I put soil from the local recycling/composting center on the bottom, food scraps, shredded packing paper and shredded cardboard, alternating through those layers.
Want to help save food waste?
Ask a small, local grocer what they do with their unsaleable produce. If they say "well, we just throw it out"
Then reply, "in that case, could I salvage it "for the animals" and "compost" to keep it out of the waste stream?"
They might say "ok", as one local grocer did where I live.
They were uncertian at first, not they're all too hap to give me around 3 boxes full EVERY WEEK.
I salvage what I can, feed my pet rabbit what isn't too yucky and compost the worst of it.
Last year, and for the last 3 years, every year I rescue pumpkins that are dumped in the Yard Waste pile at the town 'dump'.
I make sure they're solid ones, with no damage. I bring them home, wash them, gut them, cut them up , cook them, and turn them into a year's worth of pumpkin soup and pumpkin muffins, all FOR FREE.
If I have any shrunken & sprouting potatoes, I plant them, and I end up with fresh, organnically grown, edible, replacement potatoes in the fall. I grow them in the compost vessels I mentioned above.
One doesn't need a yard, ground or garden, to grow their own food, just grow in containers.
Another way to prevent food waste, is to eat small portions, so there's no uneaten food left on a plate.
Buy food, with what you're going to do with it in mind, to prevent the waste of unused portions sitting around for days. For example, if you buy a bell pepper, how will you use it up b4 it spoils? I use 1/2 for fresh eating, like adding to salads, the other 1/2 I freeze, to add to hot/cooked dishes later.
If your bread gets stale, or hard, don't throw it away. Use it to make bread crumbs, croutons, or French Toast. I make vegan French Toast, with any "scrappy" bread, such as extra dinner rolls, burger buns, sub rolls, etc., that are getting stale.
I've even made French Toast, with stale bagels and English muffins.
Make a meal plan, that way, you'll know exactly how much of what, you need every week.
Home cooking, prevents landfill waste, by avoiding packaging for every meal, such as microwave meals or heat and eat meals come in.
If you have any "farm" animals, such as chickens, rabbits, cattle, etc., give food scraps to them, then compost their manure. That way the scrap food feeds a critter b4, being composted, rather than being composted directly.
Another idea, is to put unsaleable produce out in the woods in the winter to help wildlife no starve in the winter.
There should be no scraping of plates into the trash ever. Only take what you can eat. Don't leave food on plates at restaurants either. Take some food atorage containers with you, to put what you can't eat in, and take it home. Decline dinner rolls, etc., if you think you won't be able to eat them all, as they'll throw out any rolls not taken.
Freeze as much as you can.
Start a food swap group, to trade what can't be used up in time, or put a Free Food Pantry table/fridge out near the road where passers by, can take surplus produce, or baked goods.
There's so many ways to prevent food waste.
Compost is not limited to our food.
Organic matter collected from the land and sent to landfills are equally harmful.
The organic matter that falls onto the soil is meant to stay to feed the microorganisms that make healthful soil possible.
Have been composting for years,
I don't imagine not doing it,
I love my worms 🪱