What Is the Reason for Saving Scrap Food for Compost?

Saving Food Scraps

• Though it is desirable to purchase only enough food that will be eaten, this is often impractical. Food scraps and inedible portions of food, such as banana peels and egg shells, are useful in the compost bin. Recycling by composting is the next best thing to eating what you buy. Rescuing food scraps from the trash can need not be complicated. A simple bucket or tub placed on a counter top provides easy access. Unless you are able to frequent the compost pile throughout the day, it is wise to have a container with a lid. This will keep smells and critters in the form of ants and flies away from your future "black gold."

What to Compost

• Not all food scraps belong in the compost bin. Unwanted pests and rodents may be attracted to meat, fish bones and dairy products. Milk, cheese, yogurt and sour cream are among the dairy items that are best kept out of the compost bin. Similarly, lards, fats and oils should be thrown out. Acceptable food waste includes: fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee, including grinds and filters, nut shells and tea bags.

Making Compost

• Food scraps are an integral element of compost, providing numerous nutrients that can be reused to ammend soil. Along with food scraps, which provide nitrogen, the making of compost requires carbon in the form of dead leaves, branches and twigs. Adequate moisture and aeration, or turning the pile, allow microbes to decompose the materials and form compost.

Using Compost

• The compost that you make from your food scraps is a valuable addition to your soil. Compost provides nutrients while contributing to the overall health of your soil. Increased nutrient-holding capability, water-retention and a decreased need for synthetic fertilizers are the result of using compost. Decreased pest populations, plant diseases and higher crop yields can be attributed to compost use.

Environmental Benefit

• Using food scraps rather than discarding them as trash can have a beneficial effect on the enviroment. Currently, 34 million tons of food waste reaches the landfill each year. Food waste has become the single largest element of trash reaching landfills and incinerators. Recognizing food scraps as a usable product, rather than waste to discard, is a step in the right direction. Food waste in the landfill is not only unable to be utilized, but it is often subject to anaerobic conditions that produce the powerful greenhouse gas methane. Methane contributes to climate change. Composting food waste at home is one way in which to lessen this impact.