Sustainable September 2015 - Day Twenty Seven

Welcome, Welcome,

How did your adventure go with OpShopping? Did you get a thrift shop buy that was so good you have to share? I would love to see or hear about it. :)

Half of my personal library is from the OpShops of Perth, WA. I so love books! :) And now my closet is also filled with clothes from them too.

A Salvo's Op-Shop on the way to the train on thursday. I was walking in the heat and stopped to buy a hat so I didn't get sunburnt.

All the books in the Salvos Store! So many to choose from! :)

The idea I present to you today, for tomorrow, is about the last part of the 5 Rs from the Zero Waste Home book.

September 27: Buy/Make a Compost Bin. 

The last section of the Zero Waste Home, Bea Johnson, talks about how the last thing that needs to be dealt with in a Home that is reducing its waste is the rotting stuff. Things that can be composted. In her book she lists several different systems and ways that your organic matter can be composted! :) 

One of those is the compost bin. Like mine. I totally forgot to photograph it today, sorry!

I did love the idea of "Trench composting". The trench composting is where you dig a 12" deep hole (30cm deep) and put your compost in there and then cover it back over. This is excellent for camping, renting (where you are not allowed a compost bin) and other options.

I have a black compost "bin". I have a bucket for scraps in the house that I then empty into the bin outside to compost. I know there is worms in there too because I have found them in the compost I moved at the bottom.

It really depends on what type of compost bin you are looking for. I remember when I bought mine that there were so many to choose from. So think about what you need before you go and purchase anything. Some can take more types of organic matter than others.

"Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. All composting requires three basic ingredients:

• Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs.
• Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds.
• Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important for compost development.

Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter." (EPA 2015)

I hope this helps explain the Composting better.

KINDNESS IDEA: Support Second Bite. 

Second Bite is a program that helps feed people in need with food that would otherwise end up in landfill. 

"SecondBite redistributes surplus fresh food to community food programs around Australia. Food is donated by farmers, wholesalers, markets, supermarkets, caterers and events. This high-quality surplus food is redistributed to community food programs that support people who are homeless, women and families in crisis, youth at risk, indigenous communities, asylum seekers and new arrivals." (2015)

It is an awesome program. If you can help, please do. They are awesome!

I hope this finds you all well, 
Love and hugs, 
Daena xx