#howtomakecompostathomestepbystep

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How to be more sustainable?

It is a myth that being sustainable takes immense effort and investment. It does not take much to be sustainable – just some simple day-to-day changes that can contribute to a better and greener earth.  

Save, conserve, and re-use.  

Sustainability begins at home. The best way to be sustainable is to reduce the excessive use of anything. For instance, you can save energy by switching off appliances that are not in use, save water by drying clothes outside, switching off the taps and using a bucket instead of showering. You can implement the principle of re-use. For instance, you can donate or use your old clothes as wash rags instead of throwing them away.

You can also use glass, bottles, or containers to store items and old newspapers, books and torn papers, for getting creative. You can also switch to use bio-degradable items and use eco-friendly products like reusable bottles and straws instead of plastic ones, cloth bags, and bamboo combs and toothbrushes. There are several other ways you can switch to being sustainable.  

Grow your own fruits and vegetables.  

Growing your own produce can seem time-consuming at first but it is life-changing in the long run. In today’s times, chemicals and preservatives plague most of our foods, and a good way to avoid being harmed by them is to grow your produce. This is way simpler than it sounds and takes very little investment. In fact, apart from buying seeds, all you need is home-grown compost to grow produce. But have you thought about how to make compost at home?  

Here is a guide on how to make compost at home step by step:  

Choosing a container  

The first step of making compost at home is choosing a container that can work as a compost bin. You can use a wide plastic container or cardboard box for this. If you are using a cardboard box, line it with paper to absorb moisture from any wet material you add to the compost. If you are using a plastic container, prick some holes into it to make space for aeration.  

     2. Adding materials  

Once you select the compost bin, you can add materials that will aid in the richness and fertilization of the compost. Only wet waste, yard waste, and manure can work in this context. However, any kind of wet waste will not do. You can add wet waste like vegetable scraps, fruit peels, eggshells, ground coffee and cooking water. For yard waste and manure, you can add twigs, dried leaves, lawn clippings, etc.  

Fruit peels like banana peels contain phosphorus that works as great fertilizers. Eggshells contain calcium that aid in cellular growth of plants. And coffee is rich in nitrogen that is great for growing flowers and vegetables.   

   3. Layering the materials  

The last step would be to layer the materials you use. Layering is vital to the growth of the produce. Use a dry compost layer, then a wet one, and then a dry layer again. After layering, set aside the compost for 4 to 5 weeks, and use it to grow your very own kitchen garden!