What is EcoCompo?

What is composting?

Composting is a natural process whereby organic materials such as kitchen scraps and yard waste decompose into a dark nutrient-rich matter called humus. If the appropriate amount of moisture and air are involved and can circulate through the decomposing mass, the organic materials will break down more quickly to form a rich, damp soil.

Rich soil has many benefits. It provides water retention, can retain nutrients for longer, helps balance acidity levels in soil and acts as a plant hormone.

Won't compost just decompose in landfills?

Actually, allowing organic matters (ones that could be composted) to enter a landfill is surprisingly detrimental for the environment. Organics in landfills break down in a way that does not involve oxygen (called anaerobic) which produces methane gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide as a contributor to climate change. In addition, buried organics can react with metals in the landfill, resulting in leached toxic chemicals into the groundwater.

I'm new to composting. Where do I start?

If you're completely new to composting, you need to first think about what kind of compost bin you'd like to use. Keep in mind the volume of organic waste your household creates, the space you have available, if you want to buy a bin or make your own, and the amount of effort you're willing to put into composting. We recommend you place your bin in an easily accessible location, in a well-drained area, preferably with partial shade. It can sit on grass or dirt, but cement is not recommended.

The next step is to begin collecting your organics. Many people keep a compost pail in their kitchen. Keeping a tight fitting lid on this pail is a good way to control odors and fruit flies. If you are worried about the smell, you can apply a light sprinkling of EcoCompo over the organic matter, otherwise, you can freeze the entire mass. Transfer the matter to your compost bin as often as is convenient for you.

To achieve maximum composting speed (and quality), there are three factors you need to consider: food, water and air. The compost requires an even amount of "brown waste" and "green waste". Brown waste is fiber (such as leaves) and green waste is moist, nutrient rich material (like kitchen scraps). Layering these two "wastes" is important for composting.

Air and moisture are the other important considerations. To increase decomposition, ensure that your compost is aerated (stirred) once every 2 to 3 weeks. You can use a shovel, pitchfork or rake to help with this. Failure to keep your compost aerated means that your pile may begin to compost anaerobically (without oxygen). This is when odors begin to accumulate.

How do I use EcoCompo?

EcoCompo is extremely easy to use: simply sprinkle about ¼ cup of product, or enough to cover the surface area, into your compost bin every time new compost is added. For indoor collections, once you have emptied the contents into your green bin (or other external bin), ensure you rinse the indoor collector, dry it off and sprinkle about ½ cup of EcoCompo on the bottom to soak up any runoff juices.

In outdoor collectors, line the bottom of the bin with roughly an inch of product to absorb any juices. Alternatively, the bottom of the bin could also be lined with newspapers or an old paper bag. Every time additional content is added to the outdoor collector, sprinkle EcoCompo over the new, wet material. Once the bin has been emptied, either hose it down (this waste water, called "compost tea" is excellent for plants) or simply apply another coat of EcoCompo and begin the process all over again! Don't forget to stir the compost once every 2-3 weeks.

Why should I use EcoCompo instead of lime, sand or soil?

Although lime is often used in gardening to neutralize the soil or adjust the pH levels, using it regularly in composting would essentially backfire, making the soil too basic which would have a negative effect on soil nutrients. Dark, nutrient rich soil is a good addition to compost bins. It would not eliminate the odor, but could bury the decomposing mass, at least until the mass was stirred. Sand, however, is not beneficial for the composting process and would only make the compost mass more prone to nutrient and water leakage.

How can EcoCompo save me money?

EcoCompo essentially eliminates the need for green bin liners and gives you the option of either rincing out your bin (providing a nutrient-rich "compost tea") or simply sprinkling additional EcoCompo into the bottom of the bin to soak up residual juices.

The rich soil created through composting (and facilitated with EcoCompo) is invaluable when it comes to gardening. Using your own composted soil means saving money on expensive organic soil and fertilizers.

What can I compost?

Generally, kitchen scraps make for excellent green materials while dry leaves act as brown materials.

Can Ecocompo be used in a worm composter?

Vermiculture, the composting procedure where worms are used to create new soil, is becoming increasingly popular in the composting community. Although there are several companies that sell boxes especially designed for this practice, worms can be kept in any aerated box. Balancing the dampness and acidity in the soil is crucial for the success (and survival) of worms, thus one must be careful when choosing what kinds of composting materials to add to the worm bin. EcoCompo can be added on top of the composting mass (never directly on top of the worms themselves) to absorb extra juices and decrease the dampness of the soil. For more information, click here.