By Brook Harlan
Photos By L.G. Patterson

Biodegradable matter turned into organic soil matter that’s much more nutritious than plain dirt is the basic premise of composting. My parents have composted for as long as I can remember, recycling everything from vegetable scraps to coffee grounds. When I was in culinary school, every kitchen class composted as well.

As soon as I had a backyard I started composting myself and for the last four years we have composted within the Culinary Arts Department at Rock Bridge High School and now the Career Center. By composting as well as recycling, we have reduced the amount of trash we generate by 50 percent to 75 percent.

Recycling
Think about how much paper, plastic and cardboard you discard when cooking. The initial setup may take some planning, but you can significantly decrease the amount of trash your household or business contributes to the landfill. We are lucky to have a city that will pick up recycling from residential homes and even commercial businesses. There also are drop-off sites located around the city that accept the same items. You can find a list of the items and drop-off sites at the city of Columbia’s recycling page. http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/PublicWorks/Solidwaste/recycling.php

Composting
There are a few different ways to compost and each method depends on how quickly you want the matter to decompose. Methods vary from mounding your compost in a corner in your backyard (the slowest) to putting it into a wire mesh tumbler and turning frequently until it biodegrades and falls through the holes (the fastest).

Most people limit their compost to just vegetable scraps but paper in the form of cardboard egg cartons, paper towels or coffee filters also contribute the element carbon, which is essential for compost to turn into healthy, rich soil.

Common Compost Items
Vegetable and fruit scraps
Eggs shells
Grass clippings
Leaves
Coffee grounds and filters
Twigs and weeds
Rotten vegetables

Lesser Know Compost Items
Shredded paper
Cardboard egg cartons
Paper towels (not used with cleaning products)
Old bread
Hair or pet fur
Cooked rice
Cardboard paper rolls

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency has a Web site with more information and a larger list of what to compost and what not to compost. Visit www.epa.gov/composting.

Restaurants, Businesses And Composters
This is Inside Columbia’s kick-off month for going green. We want to help people who have decomposable items for compost join together with people who compost. Whether you have a family farm where you compost or a small restaurant that goes through minimal amounts of egg shells and vegetable scraps each week, participating in this community composting effort will aid in keeping recyclable materials out of our landfills.

E-mail compost@insidecolumbia.net to connect with the Compost Trading Post. Please include if you want to get or give compost, along with your e-mail address and telephone number.

We all have trash, recycling and compost — we just have to know where to put it to keep green. It may be April but it’s not too late to add “keeping green” to your New Year’s resolutions. Every little bit makes a difference.

Brook Harlan is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. He is a culinary arts instructor through the Columbia Area Career Center and Rock Bridge High School.