Indoor Composting

So...garbage...such an annoying subject. Have you ever paused and thought for a second at the amount of garbage you and your family produce? If you think you're ok, try the following exercise for a week. Keep a journal of EVERYTHING you through out. Just for a week. You won't believe the amount of crapiola you produce. And guess what, with a little bit of awareness you could actually reduce that amount of waste to very little. My family and I are down to 1/2 the equivalent of a King Soopers bag (we use biodegradable bags that are pretty much the same size as a KS bag) in a WEEK! We used to be up to a whole bag a week, until 3 weeks ago, when I was fortunate enough to obtain a NatureMill composter.

Since all the biodegradable waste can now be turned into compost, what's left is just the garbage that I haven't found a way to recycle yet. Now, like with everything in life worthwhile, it's a commitment. It's not as easy as even the website makes it sound, although once you get the hang of it, it can be. I have yet to get it right 100% but even if I don't do it right just yet, it's still worth the effort and commitment. And the rewards are so much better than buying a pair of shoes...trust me!

First off, the first week is a drag. You're SO excited to get the dang machine, and then for one week you can't do anything but WAIT. I don't know about you, but patience is still a virtue in my book. Think of the NatureMill composter as a very long recipe. If you're good in the kitchen, you'll make this thing work. If, on the other hand, you need a recipe to boil an egg, I have to admit, this gadget is not for you.

So, as I was saying, you get it home, you follow the "recipe" instructions for first time use (you have to add this much biodegradable waste [i.e. lettuce, banana peels, watermelon rinds, you get the idea] plus some paper [i.e. tissue paper, paper towels, little wood chips, leaves etc.], some wood pallets you get from the manufacturer and the most important ingredient, some good dirt from your so someone else's yard. This is basically the recipe for the first week of use. The idea is that the dirt you add creates the bacteria needed to create compost. Now, this machine is heat based meaning you don't need worms or any other living creature to turn your waste into dirt. Hence, it doesn't (or shouldn't) attract flies, rodents, etc. Didn't I say it's great?!?

Now...disclosure about the smell. I am by FAR the most smell sensitive person I know. I can smell something burning 10 min. before anybody else even registers the thought. That said, there is a little smell associated with the composter. But it's not bad, it smells like dirt, and when you're off on your green/brown balance it smells a little bit sour, like sourdough bread. But if you add some baking soda (1 tbsp they say) and leave it for 12 hours, the smell should go away. Also, I keep my composter in the very small pantry that I have because it hums and I have a small house with my bedroom room always open to hear the kids. If you have a bigger house, and your kitchen is downstairs, you'll have no problem with the smell or the hum. It helps not to be neurotic like others I know (wink wink) also.

Anyways, moving on, after that first week of leaving it alone to do its thing. You can start peeking and watch how the compost is done. I put another batch of food in it yesterday morning and it looks like dirt already. It's just SO amazing, I LOOOVEEE IT! If you decide to buy one, just give it time. Time is one of the ingredients here for sure!

If you have any questions, e-mail me I'm more than happy to help you succeed with this project. Not to mention that you get to save the earth one lettuce leaf at a time :)) Oh I have some $30 off coupons also I got with my composter, I can definitely share those with whoever is interested.

Go green!