Trash Talk — Part 1: A beginner’s guide to home composting

Trash Talk is a three-part video series in which we look at the basics of home composting.

It is a well-established fact that centralised waste disposal systems put huge pressure on landfills. When organic and inorganic waste is mixed together, the result is a potent brew that sits in landfills, leaches into the soil and contaminates groundwater.

Decentralised management of waste at the household level, where the quantities of waste are easily manageable, reduces some of the pressure on landfills. It increases the value of wet and dry waste for recyclers, protects municipal sanitation staff from handling hazardous waste (often with little or no protection) and reduces the cost of waste management. besides, the resulting humus is nutrient-rich food that your kitchen garden will love.

Part 1 of Trash Talk looks at why it is important to compost our kitchen and garden waste and the micro and macro level benefits composting offers.

In Part 2 of Trash Talk, learn how to manage your kitchen and garden waste at home using the aerobic method.