When I started the Master Composter Recycler program, I didn’t know that I would learn so much more than recycling. Part of the program’s objective is to teach people not only to reduce waste but to also reuse. Composting is also part of reusing your food, yard waste and animal waste to turn it into food for the plants. Most importantly compost gives organic matter back to the earth and helps plants fight disease. It is a natural alternative to pesticides and herbicides.
I was so surprised when I began to learn more and more about different ways of composting. There is so much to learn! One could write a book about this stuff….just like fellow Edmontonian Suzanne Lewis. Her book ‘Composting for Canada’ is quite handy and worth picking up if you’re considering composting.
There are so many ways of composting and you can decide what works for you, depending on your living conditions and whether you want your system indoors or outdoors, seasonally or all year round. In making your decision, you have to take into consideration the climate, especially the winters in Edmonton.
The City of Edmonton does a great job of composting the waste that its own residents produce. You can buy compost from the City. If you think about it, what you are paying for is the waste you threw away. So perhaps it’s time you started your own composting.
A good place to start is the John Janzen Nature Centre where they hold composting workshops. You can use the compost toilet while you are there. Happy Composting!