6 REASONS TO START COMPOSTING

2. Composting provides a chemical-free, nutrient rich solution for your garden. 

Adding organic matter in the form of compost to the soil is one of the most important things you can do to create healthy, living soil. Beneficial microorganisms need organic matter to feed off of for energy and they prefer a high-quality compost. Garden soil high in soil microorganisms becomes self-purifying by creating natural antioxidant compounds. This prevents pathogenic bacteria from making your garden soil its home. Research also shows that some microorganisms can change the root zone and plant cells to increase the plants immune system and help it combat disease or insects.

Compost adds very enticing organic matter to the soil that attracts high populations of microbes, worms, and other organisms.  Creating compost by recycling your food waste in our convenient buckets, you ferment the waste into a pre-compost material that can be buried into the soil. This pre-compost can be added directly to the soil and planted on after 2 weeks or you can added it to your outdoor composting pile to finish breaking down.

When microbes begin breaking down and fermenting the material, nutrients are released and cycled. This creates plant available nutrients needed for plant growth.  Compost can replace synthetic fertilizers because it is a slow-release fertilizer itself. Compost made from green material, brown material, and food waste is full of nutrients and other compounds such as vitamins and minerals important for plant growth. Unlike synthetic fertilizers that leach or runoff easily, compost remains in the soil as it increases soil structure.

With the combination of EM-1®, EM® Bokashi ,and your own food waste composting material, there will be no need for chemical inputs.

4. Composting recycles nutrients back into the soil

Why waste all that nutrient-rich organic material by sending it to the landfill? Composting is a great eco-friendly way to recycle those nutrients back into growing your own food. If you don't have a large composting pile food waste composting is a great option that doesn’t require a large composting pile. According to the EPA 21% of municipal waste in landfills is food waste.

Plants send a significant amount of their energy and resources into their fruit as they are home to seeds. Even the parts we don’t eat have valuable nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

By fermenting food waste in our simple Organko food waste buckets, you don’t need to have a large outdoor compost pile to increase your sustainability. The fermented pre-compost created in your bucket can be buried into any soil, recycling the nutrients back into the soil and eventually into more nutritious produce.

5. Composting attracts earthworms to your soil 

Earthworms are just as important to soil health as beneficial microorganisms. Worms equally enjoy the amazing buffet of food waste buried in the soil or added to a compost pile. Like microorganisms, worms eat the organic material and produce waste (worm castings). Worm castings are considered finished compost or organic matter. 

Earthworms are also important for soil strength as their waste and movement either binds soil particles together or creates permeability. Neither worms nor microorganisms can break down all our waste alone, this is why it is so important to create a healthy, living soil full of all organisms in balance. 

6. Food waste recycling accelerates decomposition of your traditional compost pile. 

If you are food waste recycling, once your food waste has been properly fermented (after 2 weeks), you can add the contents to any traditional composting pile. Although it is not recommended to add raw food waste into green composting piles, finished waste is no longer considered raw and will not cause problems when added. 

In fact, because of the high microbial populations, adding your finished food waste can help accelerate the decomposition of your pile. Having your own composting pile ensures you have ample organic matter when needed, and allows more control into what goes into your garden. 

EM Bokashi®, and/or EM-1® Microbial Inoculant can also be added to any traditional composting pile to speed up the process and increase both the compost and soil health.

Getting your first compost started is simple!

You may think this is a difficult and messy process to start composting, however with very little investment, you can easily compost outdoors, indoors, or both. For outdoor composting of green waste (trimmings, manure, fruits and vegetable peelings, garden waste) or brown waste (cardboard, shredded paper, large woody yard waste) you can invest in a compost bin, use a landscape garbage bin, build a simple wood box, or even just create a pile.

If you don't have the room or resources to start an outdoor composting, use our Organiko Composting Buckets to ferment all food waste with no mess or foul odors.