Ajijic has its yard waste pickup and composting program, which substantially reduces the amount of garbage going to the dump. But did you know that you can also help reduce the garbage you generate by setting up your own compost system for your kitchen and yard waste?
Composting kitchen scraps and garden waste is easy and has many benefits:
Reduce waste - have less garbage and yard waste to bag and haul.
Grow a healthy, sustainable garden - recycle nutrients and organic matter that help grow trouble-free plants with less water, fertilizer or pesticides.
Less impact on the environment - keeps food and garden scraps out of landfills. Compost builds healthy soil that reduces watering needs and absorbs runoff, protecting streams from erosion and pollution.
What is necessary to compost? Nothing more than a container or area in your garden to dispose of organic waste. The compost bin or heap needs a healthy combination of plant material, leaves, and water to produce the microbes necessary to break down the waste into compost. Compost bins are available at ACA in Jaltepec, or you can build your own or have one built.
Keep a small recycling pail in your kitchen - under the sink is good. Whenever you are preparing food and have food scraps to dispose of (no meat or dairy products), pull the pail out for easy convenience. When your pail is full, take it out and dump it into your compost bin or heap. Occasionally rinse out your small container and add the water to the compost bin/pile.
You can also put light yard waste into your compost bin. When sweeping leaves, pruning plants, etc., use a bucket and then dump into your compost. It's better to keep weeds out of the compost bins to stop them from spreading their seeds.
Don't be surprised if your compost is home to earthworms. They are Mother Nature's experts at breaking down organic material, and are a good indicator of a healthy compost system. You may also have other insects buzzing around or living in your compost, but you should never have problems with unwelcome rodents or unpleasant odors if you follow the rules on what not to put into your compost. If you use a compost bin, you will find that even when you completely fill up the container, after a few days the new material will have broken down and there will be plenty of space to add new material. It is like a bottomless pit!
Your compost should be ready to use as a nutrient-rich soil amendment within a few months. Just dig some of the compost out from the bottom of the bin or heap. A bin with a small door at the bottom makes this more convenient.
ITEMS TO COMPOST: fruit and vegetable waste, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, potted plant remains, plant clippings, leaves, soil, even some paper.
ITEMS NOT TO COMPOST: dairy products, meats, bones, fats, metals, plastics.
