General – Page 158 – Crazy About Compost

Compost – Controlling Smells

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWlOiYAyH8 This is a nice and short clip on how to keep the odors down in the compost pile. In the spring time is when it's trickiest to do, as the extra rain can get your pile a bit too soaked. Quick tips to keeping the pile healthy: -Moisture level (wrung out sponge consistency) -Aeration (air needs to be able to circulate, so mix your contents well to avoid clumping) -Content size and mix: ratio of browns to greens (3 to 1 ratio of shredded browns to greens) Turning the pile helps, but I don't think it's overly required, especially in the beginning stages of the pile (two weeks) when it's gaining heat and working well on its own. Good luck!

Kroger Converts Food Waste To Energy (article)

(original article found here: http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/article/20130516/NEWS02/130519945/kroger-converts-food-waste-to-energy?utm_campaign=corpsustain_newsletter&utm_medium=corpsustain_email&utm_source=corpsustain_20130520&utm_content=article1) The Kroger Co. unveiled an anaerobic digestion system to convert food that can't be sold or donated into biogas that will help power its distribution center in Compton, Calif. The Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered retailer expects the system will process more than 55,000 tons yearly of unsold organics and food processing effluent, roughly 150 tons per day. The energy produced will provide 20% of the energy needed by the distribution center, the company said in a news release. "Investing in this project is a good business decision for Kroger and, most importantly, an extraordinary opportunity to benefit the environment," Rodney McMullen, President and COO of The Kroger Co., said in a statement. "We want to thank Governor [Jerry] Brown and his team at CalRecycle and CalEPA, the…

Anaerobic Composting – Is It Worth It?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPQ4U4vtWd4 Anaerobic composting is a simple and fun alternative to the usual ways of composting, which include using a compost bin, a tumbler, or worms. While it may be the easiest method, it takes a really long time to finish and it has different environmental consequences...more on that in a moment. A popular method I've read about is to use two thick black garbage bags, a bucket to measure out the contents and some water. Add equal parts shredded food scraps (no meat/dairy/seafood), soil+some finished compost, and "brown" materials (shredded leaves, shredded paper). Add some water to get the material damp, but not completely soaked. Tie off the bag, then put it inside the other garbage bag and tie that off, too. All done! This process is often said to…