Composting – Cambridge Style

Many farmers as well as home gardeners compost. This process converts food scraps and organic “matter” (leaves, weeds, etc) into soil. Oxygen, worms and heat decompose all this from recognizable things to soil in a matter months. The soil is rich in nutrients and fortifies a garden depleted by growing plants. Ah, what a cycle – We take what the earth gives us, return it back when we’re done and then we get back. Now, more than ever, we think about reducing our carbon footprint, and what better way than to compost. Instead of filling land-fills with our trash (and which rots and creates methane gas), we convert it to nutritious soil so that we can continue growing without artificial garden enhancers. And as an added bonus, it’s cheaper to compost ($95/ton) than hauling trash ($97/ton).

Cambridge has just launched a pilot composting program. While it’s not as evolved as San Francisco, it’s definitely a start. I picked up my composting bin

  at the DPW, which thankfully is just 1 block from my house. Unlike San Francisco, where the compost is picked up with the trash and recycling, I must drop off my composting at the DPW during open hours.

When I returned home, I promptly filled up the green 2-gallon bin with left-overs in my fridge that had been, em, er… aging. This is going to be a challenge. Less than an hour into the program, I’m already back at the DPW to unload. The obvious downside of this program is that I don’t want to run over to the drop-off center once a day.

I can also get a composting bin from the city. It's not particularly attractive and, unlike the bins available at Urban Gardener, the city-subsidized bins require heavy mixing. It’s a pretty basic contraption. The compost goes in the top, and drawers pull out of the bottom to get at the good soil. On the plus side, it's 1/3 the price of the "Tumbler" and require much less space. Two neighbors have used these… one still composts afer several seasons… the other gave up.

Given how quickly I accumulate compostables, I think I will try my own bin. Stay tuned…