Here is the transcript to the podcast my brother and I produced yesterday for your reference.
Jesse: Hi everyone. This is Jesse with my younger brother Andrew, who currently goes to Burleigh Manor Middle School.
Andrew: Hi everyone.
Jesse: Today, we will be talking about a cool activity many families do in their backyard called composting. Andrew, have you ever heard of composting before?
Andrew: I’ve heard of it but I don’t really know what it is. It’s supposed to help protect the environment right?
Jesse: Yes, you’re exactly right. In short, composting is a process that turns food and paper waste into nutritious soil you can use for a garden. What you would do is throw banana peels, potato and carrot scraps, old newspaper, and other types of waste into a bin, and over several months, the waste will decompose (with the help of many bacteria and microorganisms—a lot of chemistry and biology going on here) and turn naturally into soil. This helps protect the environment because it reduces the amount of trash you throw out—therefore reducing the amount of stuff that goes to landfills, and basically reuses food waste in the form of something else. In fact, the average American household throws away 200 lb of kitchen waste per year, so if everyone started composting, we would reduce landfill volumes by millions of pounds. That’s a huge difference. Another benefit is that compost saves money because you wouldn’t have to buy soil from Home Depot, you can just make it for free at home. Isn’t that a plus on both sides?
Andrew: Wow. That sounds really cool. It’s almost like magic. So what exactly can you can and cannot compost?
Jesse: Great question. Basically any food waste that is fruit, vegetable or starch can be composted. So stuff like apple peels, coffee beans, broccoli, stale bread that needs to be thrown out. You can also compost egg shells, dead leaves, shredded paper, etc. However, you cannot compost any dairy products, meat, or plastic.
One important thing I want to mention is the science that occurs during composting. So the main driving component that turns food scraps into soil are tiny mesophilic microorganisms (I know, that’s a long name!) which thrive at room temperature. These microorganisms (so tiny that you cannot see with your naked eyes) eat away at the compost and break it down into biodegradable compounds. During this biological process, heat is released as a byproduct and causes temperatures inside the pile to quickly rise over 100°F.
Andrew: Cool! I didn’t know compost got so hot. What’s next?
Jesse: So after the compost reaches a certain temperature, mesophilic microorganisms are replaced by thermophilic microorganisms, which further break down the compost into finer pieces. The bacteria also excrete chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are essential nutrients of soil. The compost continues to become hotter and rises to a temperature of almost 150°F. The higher temperature is more conducive to breaking down proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates in the food. This stage can take up to several months. As you can tell, composting is a gradual process. It does not happen overnight.
After thermophilic microorganisms do their job, they are replaced by mesophilics. This cycle between mesophiles and thermophiles happens over and over again until the compost becomes soil. During this process, centipedes, worms, and pill bugs may also help transform the compost.
While decomposition happens on its own, It’s also helpful to toss and turn the compost once in a while to get things evenly distributed and speed up the process.
Andrew: Ok wow. That’s alot of science. I’m about to learn chemistry and biology soon so that’s a nice little taste of it. Anything else readers should know?
Jesse: Yes, another thing to note is that composting material falls within two categories called “greens” and “browns” and a delicate balance of these two types is needed to maintain a healthy compost. So “greens” are your nitrogen and protein-rich stuff, which includes vegetable and fruit scraps. It is what makes up the bulk of the compost and is what you think of when you first hear the word compost. Your “browns” are the carbon-rich stuff, and this includes all paper, leaves, and hay.
Generally speaking, a ratio of 1 part “brown” to 1 part “green” works quite well and is simple to follow. That is simply half of each. A lot of people forget to add enough browns as they focus too much on the vegetable and fruit scraps, so I would recommend you not make that mistake. If you add too much “greens” or if there is too much nitrogen in the pile, your compost will overheat, start to release ammonia and really stink. Excess nitrogen will also increase the acidity of the pile, which is toxic to some microorganisms. So, you wouldn’t want that.
If you add too much “browns” to your compost, so too much dry leaves and paper, there will not be enough heat generated in the pile, so the compost will transform into soil at a much slower rate. In other words, it’s inefficient.
Andrew: Ok wow! That’s alot of helpful information there. I hope readers learned something new because I certainly did! If families want to start composting, what should they do?
Jesse: Great question, Andrew. The first thing families should do is buy a composting bin from a hardware store like Home Depot or even get one free from their county district. I know Prince George’s county offers free bins, so for many of our listeners who live there, I highly encourage you to ask and get one. The type of composting bin you get is also important. One cheaper option is simply getting a recycling bin that looks green, and you would throw all your compost into there, and it will be decomposed in a separate facility. This is especially a good option for families who live in apartments and don’t have backyards, as they can drop their compost off at a curb-side location, which you can look up and find minutes away from your area.
Another option is to buy a black, leathery compost bin that you can implant directly into the ground in your front or back yard. What makes the bin work is that it has porous holes throughout it, so it lets the compost aerate and get oxygen and not stink up too much. One popular brand is called GEOBIN, and EcoHorizons is actually handing them out for free to our readers. If you are interested, I will link more information in the description box below. Basically after every time you cook a meal, you would throw your scraps into the bin and it will gradually pile up over time. It literally takes only a few minutes of your day!
Andrew: Ok cool! That sounds quite efficient. I highly encourage listeners to start composting because it’s so quick and easy to do yet the environmental benefits of it are huge. Last thing Jesse, are there any negative effects of composting that listeners should be aware of?
Jesse: I honestly cannot think of any off the top of my head… There are so many great benefits that there’s nothing really bad about composting unless you are really sensitive to stinky odors, and even still, composting doesn’t smell much… I will say that some people have asked me whether composting attracts rodents and mice, but the answer is no because it’s enclosed and protected in a container just like a trash can. If you’re setting up a composting bin outside, you wouldn’t have to worry about rodents at all since it’s not near your house.
Andrew: Ok. So I think that’s it for today. Thank you so much for the detailed explanations, Jesse.
Jesse: Yeah, totally. I’m always here to help. As for our listeners, I hope after this conversation that you learned something cool about compost. If you have the ability to, I would highly highly encourage you to start composting tomorrow, as it can make a really big difference in helping protect the environment. Plus, it’s so easy to do. I will link more information in the description below. If you have any questions you can also contact me directly through my email or phone.
