Composting With Claire

Mar 1

Written By Kate M

What is the Problem?

Food waste makes up 21% of trash in the United States. When food waste is put in the garbage in Andover it is sent to an incinerator. In other places it is sent to a landfill. The compostable or biodegradable solid waste which ends up in landfills and decomposes there releases Methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas. Methane is 84 times more potent than CO2 measured over a 20 year period. The act of composting will minimize greenhouse gas emissions. During composting, food reacts chemically with oxygen and instead of releasing methane it turns into a nutrient rich soil. And even incinerators are estimated to be slightly worse than composting food waste in releasing carbon dioxide. In addition, whether the trash is sent to an incinerator like here in Andover, or to a landfill, the trucks that pick up and transport the trash emit greenhouse gases. Composting can cut emissions and it’s easy to do!

Sources: UNECE, Project Drawdown, US Composting Council

Graphic: MSW Management

What Can You Do?

Composting recycles organic materials that would instead be sent to a landfill. And as we read above, this can reduce producing Methane gas! Composting isn’t hard to do! I hope this blog will help you find a composting method that fits you well and provide you with the knowledge you need to either get a compost subscription or start up a compost bin at home!

Get a Compost Subscription

It can be hard to start composting but composting programs like OffBeets can make it easier! OffBeet collects food scraps and brings them to a local composting site. There they are broken down into “nutrient-rich material” and then redistributed to customers and sold to local farms. OffBeets offers 3 plans:

The Household Collection plan,
The Drop-Off plan, and
Business Plan.

OffBeet makes composting convenient and is working to keep the Merrimack Valley area green!

Black Earth Compost is another service which offers food scrap collection. It is based in Gloucester, MA and they pride themselves in herbicide, pesticide, and fertilizer free compost. They offer a cute 13-gallon curbside bin and come once a week to empty your bin and drop off a bag of compost if you’ve ordered it.

City Compost also offers composting in Andover. They take all food, yard materials and compostables.

Sources: OffBeet Compost, Black Earth Compost

DIY Composting

What if you want to start composting without a service? That’s possible too! First, you should get a compost bin for your backyard so you can collect your compost easily. There are a variety of compost bins for sale, or you could make your own. Bins can be made from wood, an up-cycled plastic container, or a mesh fence.

In 2020 and 2021 the town of Andover sold Earth Machine compost bins at a reduced rate. Check with Andover DPW to see if they are continuing this program.

Once you have your bin, find a good spot in your back yard for it, a spot that isn’t too sunny but also not one completely in the shade. Once the bin is set up, start by putting a layer of leaves and twigs in before throwing in greens and kitchen waste that you can collect in a small bin/container inside. Bring your scraps out to the compost once or twice a week. Make sure you don’t compost yard waste treated with pesticides or fertilizer. Make sure to keep the pile damp.

Then it’s good to decide whether you will keep the compost to use for gardening or growing plants, or whether you want to drop it off at a composting facility near you! Compost can be used as mulch in a garden, it can be mixed with potting soil, or it can top garden beds.

Check out this awesome DIY composting video to get started!

Bald Hill Composting

For Andover residents, the Bald Hill Compost site is a place to drop off yard waste like lawn clippings and leaves. With a permit and proof of residency, you can drop off waste and pick up compost to use in your yard. However many residents’ yards are treated with pesticides and clippings can contaminate the compost. If you want to be sure of what’s going into your compost I find its best to use your own or a trusted service like those mentioned in the Compost Subscription section. There are also sites in nearby towns which a quick google search will bring up. Composting yourself is easy and has such a big positive impact on our planet! For more tips on assembling and starting a compost bin check out my video!

Sources: Bald Hill Compost, Earth Easy