Learning the Framework

So far, I have been researching more and more about the topic of composting, and gathered numerous sources detailing exactly what types of compost there are and the characteristics of different compost bins. Although composting may seem self-explanatory on the surface, there are actually a lot of layers(no pun intended) involved with creating a successful system of decomposition. Just by researching about the different ways to construct holding units, a new world of information was opened up to me about which types of compost bins were most efficient(worm composting and turning units), how to choose a compost bin most suited to your abode, and whether or not turning the compost would make a difference. From this plethora of information I settled upon a plan of building a holding unit, the one which my resources hinted would require the least amount of work and delicacy, as long as I was able to provide at least an open, flat space of 3 ft x 3 ft x 3ft(which is able to fit in my back yard). I managed to find a plan as well for the construction of various types of holding units, which you can see for yourself here.

Next on my list was actually learning about what I should and should not compost, and how exactly to make the best possible environment for nature to do its work. Compost(at least in a holding unit that I plan to build) should be at least 3x3x3 feet in volume in order to properly hold in heat to speed up decomposition and keep pathogens away from the pile. The order of placing biodegradables should be first a layer of "browns"(dry, carbon ingredients) right above the ground, followed by a layer of "greens"(wet, nitrogen ingredients), alternating back and forth until a height of 3 feet is reached. Brown materials include any sort of dry yard waste like leaves and branches, which my house has plenty of due to our abundance of oak trees around, and green materials are things like food waste(but NOT including animal products of any sort) and yard clippings. At this point, I realized that I should plan to create a separate kitchen container for the green items that I wish to compost and separate out the things that need to be thrown away, so I included that in the general plan that I wished to follow. For some really interesting and important information concerning how to compost properly, you can refer to this resource for help.

Over the time that I have started working on my 20 Time project, I learned a number of things about myself, one of which was that it was hard to convince myself to stick to goals I had for a certain week when more pressing schoolwork was to be done. I had set a goal in my first 20 Time post to start building a compost bin by my next update, and I have not yet been able to accomplish this. Additionally, things that I struggled with during these first couple of weeks has been being out of town for a number of days, restricting my ability to get any work done on a project that is mostly material in nature. There was also the difficulty in doing much work during the allotted time in class besides research, because the majority of my project involves actually building a compost unit and composting at home, which I clearly cannot do at school. To overcome these obstacles, I will try to work more on my project at home through better planning of when to divide the work amongst my other homework, and trying to catch up over the upcoming break.

As for the next steps in my project, I am hoping to accomplish all of the steps I have listed previously and really start composting by the time of my next post, and detailing my findings through the audience on my blog to encourage others to join me in trying to reduce organic waste.