May 20, 2019

Good for the Environment: Vermicomposting

If you announce to your family that you’ve found a new hobby, and its vermicomposting, you’re likely to raise a few eyebrows. Vermicomposting (worm composting) might not be the most glamorous of interests but it is tremendous for the environment!

Why we should all be vermicomposting

It’s probably no shock to you that the amount of food waste here in America is astronomical. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that approximately 25% of all the food bought by American families is just thrown in the garbage bin and that 22% percent of landfills are made up of food waste.

When that food breaks down, it releases methane, and that contributes to global warming. That means that not only are we trashing our hard-earned cash, but we are also destroying our planet.

But what if we could eliminate our food waste without sending it off to the landfill? This is where our worm buddies come in.

How to get started

Getting started with worm composting isn’t hard to do! Unlike traditional composting, worm composting isn’t smelly and can be right in the comfort of your home or apartment!

Container - Any container will do but there are also actual worm containers out there you can purchase like this one!

Bedding – No trip to the pet store required! Old newspaper scraps or moist cardboard will work just fine here!

Water – We’ve all witnessed the summertime sidewalk horror where all the poor little worms shrivel up from the heat. Keep this from happening and make sure you keep things in your container nice and moist.

Food scraps – Worms are very healthy eaters. They love to munch on veggie scraps and fruit peels. They also love breads, grains, tea bags, coffee grounds and even crushed egg shells! They won’t do well with meat, cheese, butter or anything greasy.