Once you decide to start saving kitchen scraps for composting, you are presented with a new quandary: what do do with all of those scraps. Unless you don't mind running out the the compost pile every time you peel a banana or make a cup of tea, you'll need to find a way to store those scraps until you add them to your compost. Here are a few ideas.
1. Compost Crock
If you need to store your kitchen scraps on a countertop, the aesthetics of your container are important. Compost crocks may be the perfect solution for you. They are generally made of stainless steel or ceramic, and are unobtrusive on a countertop or island. More importantly, crocks usually come equipped with charcoal filters to prevent the crock's contents from smelling up your kitchen. Crocks are not necessarily cheap; most models cost between twenty and sixty dollars.
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2. Compost Pail or Bucket
Compost pails are a good solution for those gardeners who have an area in a cabinet or pantry in which to store their kitchen scraps. Pails are a bit larger than crocks, and are usually made of steel or plastic. The plastic options are, obviously, less expensive than the metal ones. Some of the metal pails incorporate filters similar to those used by compost crocks. The plastic ones prevent odors from pervading your home via air-tight lids. Prices for pails run between ten dollars and fifty dollars.
3. Coffee Cans
If you don't produce a ton of kitchen waste during the day, a simple plastic or steel coffee can will work for you just fine, and it's free! Be sure to save the lid, and you have a very handy kitchen scrap containment system. Coffee cans can be stored in a cabinet or in the refrigerator. Storing the can in the fridge will help keep odors under control, especially if you make a point of emptying and rinsing the can every day.
4. Reused Plastic Bucket from Detergent or Paint
If you buy laundry detergent in large bulk-sized buckets or have a five-gallon bucket left over from your last painting project, you have a perfect receptacle for your kitchen scraps. Simply wash the containers out, save the lids, and start adding your kitchen scraps. Because these containers are so large, you may be able to go a couple of days before you have to empty it into the compost. The only problem with this is that odors can build up in the bucket. If you have some Bokashi mix on hand, you can sprinkle some of that in every time you add scraps to control odor.
5. Plastic Bags
Plastic bags, whether shopping bags with handles or zipper-type bags, are everywhere. If we can find ways to reuse them around the house, that would be a very good thing. You can store kitchen scraps in plastic bags in your refrigerator and then empty them out into your compost pile or worm bin at the end of the day. Alternately, if you are storing up kitchen waste to start a compost pile in the spring, you can freeze it in a plastic bag and empty the contents when you are ready to build your pile. The nice thing about this is that not only are there no odors, but the kitchen waste breaks down faster in the compost pile after having gone through the freeze/thaw process.
The foods we buy and consume have an impact on our economy as well as our environment and there is a growing concern about how the way we live affects our global environment. Two words that are growing in popularity are green and sustainability. They both refer to the idea that products can be high quality and good for the environment, or at least not harmful.
The cost of putting food on our tables has gone down over the past few decades, mostly due to advances in agricultural techniques that allow farms to produce massive amounts of crops and animals in less time or in smaller spaces. But there are questions about how this food production is affecting our planet. Fisheries are being over-fished, rain-forests are being destroyed to make way for food production, and fertilizer and pesticide use is increasing as farmland erosion occurs worldwide. Large-scale farming also relies on massive amounts of fossil fuels and water. Plus even more fuel is used to transport foods to the market.
Some forms of agriculture are more sustainable. They pollute less, may be better for the environment and include more humane farming practices for food animals. You can support sustainable agriculture by following a few green tips for your diet. Here are some ways:
Support locally grown foods. Food grown close to home requires less fuel and other resources to get to your grocery store. Eating local is also a good way to support your local economy because you buy products produced by farmers who live in your area. You can also join a Community Supported Agriculture group in your area to make supporting nearby growers easy.
Eat less beef. Meat products require more resources to produce because the animals need to be fed until they are large enough for slaughter. It takes eight pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. From this perspective, chicken is a more sustainable choice because it takes about two pounds of grain to produce one pound of chicken. Fish and seafood require even less - about a pound in a half to produce a pound of farm raised fish.
Choose fish carefully. When you buy fish, you can choose either wild-caught fish or farm-raised fish. The most sustainable choices include farm-raised plant-eating species such as catfish, tilapia, and trout, which are grown in farm ponds that take up relatively small amounts of space and are quite productive. Wild-caught salmon and pollack from the Pacific ocean are also fairly sustainable, but farm-raised salmon and other carnivorous species such as tuna and sea bass are not as sustainable when compared to their plant-eating counterparts. Also avoid predator species such as swordfish, marlin, bluefin and albacore tuna.
Go organic. Plants that have been raised organically have not been exposed to artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Organically produced animal products such as milk, milk, eggs, poultry and seafood are produced from animals that have not been raised with growth hormones or given antibiotics. Organic foods are becoming more common in most grocery stores, just be sure to look for the "100% Organic" label on the product.
Read labels carefully. Some labels, such as the 100% organic labels are regulated, but words like natural and healthy aren't regulated to mean anything specific. Other labels have low standards, for example free range chickens only need to be outside for five minutes each day. They can spend the rest of the day confined in small cages and still be considered to be free range. When you read the claims on food packaging labels, look for some indication of a certification from an organization - they're more likely to be sustainable.
Grow your own foods. Depending on the time you have and the amount of land you own, you can grow some of your own food in a vegetable garden or possibly raise a few chickens for poultry and eggs. But even if you don't have much space, you can still grow a few greens or tomatoes in a small container garden on your deck or if space is even tighter you can have a little herb garden in your kitchen.
Buy shade-grown, fair-trade products. Many of the regions where coffee and cocoa for chocolate are grown are suffering from loss of biodiversity as the forests are destroyed to produce cropland. Shade-grown, fair-trade products may be better for the environment and buying them helps to support small farm families who grow them.
Reuse grocery bags and containers. Many stores offer inexpensive but durable grocery bags that you can reuse every time you shop. Some stores offer incentives such as giving you a few cents off your order when you bring a bag back in. Reusing grocery bags cuts down on the number of plastic or paper bags that need to produced, and since most of them end up in the garbage, reusing garbage bags cuts back on litter and landfill use.
Filter your own water. Those plastic bottles of water may be convenient but they take a lot of resources to produce. And while some bottles are recycled, most end up in the trash. You'll save money and help the environment by filtering your own tap water (Compare Prices) and reusing your own water bottles.
Sources:
Consumer Reports. Eco-labels. Accessed March 23, 2010. http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm
Cunningham William. Principles of Environmental Science, 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill.
The cost of putting food on our tables has gone down over the past few decades, mostly due to advances in agricultural techniques that allow farms to produce massive amounts of crops and animals in less time or in smaller spaces. But there are questions about how this food production is affecting our planet. Fisheries are being over-fished, rain-forests are being destroyed to make way for food production, and fertilizer and pesticide use is increasing as farmland erosion occurs worldwide. Large-scale farming also relies on massive amounts of fossil fuels and water. Plus even more fuel is used to transport foods to the market.
Some forms of agriculture are more sustainable. They pollute less, may be better for the environment and include more humane farming practices for food animals. You can support sustainable agriculture by following a few green tips for your diet. Here are some ways:
Support locally grown foods. Food grown close to home requires less fuel and other resources to get to your grocery store. Eating local is also a good way to support your local economy because you buy products produced by farmers who live in your area. You can also join a Community Supported Agriculture group in your area to make supporting nearby growers easy.
Eat less beef. Meat products require more resources to produce because the animals need to be fed until they are large enough for slaughter. It takes eight pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. From this perspective, chicken is a more sustainable choice because it takes about two pounds of grain to produce one pound of chicken. Fish and seafood require even less - about a pound in a half to produce a pound of farm raised fish.
Choose fish carefully. When you buy fish, you can choose either wild-caught fish or farm-raised fish. The most sustainable choices include farm-raised plant-eating species such as catfish, tilapia, and trout, which are grown in farm ponds that take up relatively small amounts of space and are quite productive. Wild-caught salmon and pollack from the Pacific ocean are also fairly sustainable, but farm-raised salmon and other carnivorous species such as tuna and sea bass are not as sustainable when compared to their plant-eating counterparts. Also avoid predator species such as swordfish, marlin, bluefin and albacore tuna.
Go organic. Plants that have been raised organically have not been exposed to artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Organically produced animal products such as milk, milk, eggs, poultry and seafood are produced from animals that have not been raised with growth hormones or given antibiotics. Organic foods are becoming more common in most grocery stores, just be sure to look for the "100% Organic" label on the product.
Read labels carefully. Some labels, such as the 100% organic labels are regulated, but words like natural and healthy aren't regulated to mean anything specific. Other labels have low standards, for example free range chickens only need to be outside for five minutes each day. They can spend the rest of the day confined in small cages and still be considered to be free range. When you read the claims on food packaging labels, look for some indication of a certification from an organization - they're more likely to be sustainable.
Grow your own foods. Depending on the time you have and the amount of land you own, you can grow some of your own food in a vegetable garden or possibly raise a few chickens for poultry and eggs. But even if you don't have much space, you can still grow a few greens or tomatoes in a small container garden on your deck or if space is even tighter you can have a little herb garden in your kitchen.
Buy shade-grown, fair-trade products. Many of the regions where coffee and cocoa for chocolate are grown are suffering from loss of biodiversity as the forests are destroyed to produce cropland. Shade-grown, fair-trade products may be better for the environment and buying them helps to support small farm families who grow them.
Reuse grocery bags and containers. Many stores offer inexpensive but durable grocery bags that you can reuse every time you shop. Some stores offer incentives such as giving you a few cents off your order when you bring a bag back in. Reusing grocery bags cuts down on the number of plastic or paper bags that need to produced, and since most of them end up in the garbage, reusing garbage bags cuts back on litter and landfill use.
Filter your own water. Those plastic bottles of water may be convenient but they take a lot of resources to produce. And while some bottles are recycled, most end up in the trash. You'll save money and help the environment by filtering your own tap water (Compare Prices) and reusing your own water bottles.
Sources:
Consumer Reports. Eco-labels. Accessed March 23, 2010. http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm
Cunningham William. Principles of Environmental Science, 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill.
Eating locally has many benefits. But how can you get started? Here are 10 ways to get started buying and eating locally.
1. Learn What's In Season
Knowing what's in season in your region will help you know what to expect at farmers markets and help you know which items at other markets and stores might be from local or regional sources (and which ones most definitely are not!).
Regional Seasonality Guides
Produce Seasons
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2. Shop at Farmers Markets
Shopping at farmers markets that feature locally grown products is a fun, easy way to increase the amount of local foods you purchase and eat. Not all farmers markets have the same guidelines, so check to see if stands are required to sell products grown or produced on local or regional farms. Be very suspicious of any market that features bananas--unless you're in Hawaii or Florida!
Farmers Market Tips
Find a Local Farmers Market
3. Join Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) connects participants to a specific farm (or, sometimes, group of farms). You buy a share in a farm and, in return, you get a share of the harvest. You get the freshest, best produce the farm has to offer; the farm has a set of guaranteed sales and money up-front for seasonal expenses.
What Is CSA?
Things to Consider When Choosing a CSA
Sources for Finding a Local CSA
4. Shop at Stores That Label Food Origins
If you have a choice of markets, chose one that notes where it sources its products. In particular, look for signs marking the source of seafood, meat, poultry, and produce. Co-ops and health food stores are more likely to clearly denote the origins of the foods they carry, but conventional grocery stores are increasingly labeling their produce sections and meat and seafood counters.
No signs at your local market? Speak to the manager or section managers. Express your interest in locally grown and produced foods. Ask that any locally or regionally grown items at the store be so noted. You'll be surprised at how much good will rises up to meet genuine interest.
5. Shop the Perimeter of Grocery Stores
The aisles around the perimeter of grocery stores contain more ingredients than processed foods. Shop these perimeters for fresh produce, meats, and dairy--precisely those items that you can ask about their source and hopefully find some from near-by sources. Pay particular attention to the produce aisle: if you know your seasons, you may be able to find some locally or regionally grown items.
6. Get Ultra-Local: Plant a Garden
Growing your own food is the ultimate way to eat local. From a simple herb garden to prolific raised beds designed to feed a family, there are lots of ways to grow your own food.
Container Vegetable Gardens
Gorwing Heirloom Vegetables
Growing Kitchen Herbs
Miniatures and Dwarf Fruit Trees
7. Visit U-Picks & Farm Stands
For most city-dwellers, farm stands aren't an everyday food gathering solution. But when the opportunity presents itself, u-picks (where you go to a farm and pick your own produce) are a great source for large quantities of super-fresh produce.
Sources for Finding U-Picks & Farm Stands
8. Choose Restaurants That Source Locally
Frequent restaurants that buy from local and regional farms, growers, and purveyors and continue your support of local farmers and producers even when you eat out.
9. Frequent Locally-Owned Food Producers
Continue your support of a local food system by buying from artisans and locally-owned food producers such as bakeries, butchers, and coffee roasters for foods you don't cook at home or which aren't grown locally.
10. Buy Family Farmed or Fair Trade Products When Local Is Unavailable
Don't live near dairy cows? Buy milk from dairies that buy from family-owned farms. Live in the contiguous 48 states of the U.S. but find yourself unwilling to give up coffee? Buy coffee grown in sustainable ways by people who pay workers fairly.
Eating local foods is certainly about eating food grown closer to home, but it is also about being more aware of your food and how it gets to you.
1. Learn What's In Season
Knowing what's in season in your region will help you know what to expect at farmers markets and help you know which items at other markets and stores might be from local or regional sources (and which ones most definitely are not!).
Regional Seasonality Guides
Produce Seasons
Sponsored Links
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Offshore.HSBC.com
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OmegaBrite.com
2. Shop at Farmers Markets
Shopping at farmers markets that feature locally grown products is a fun, easy way to increase the amount of local foods you purchase and eat. Not all farmers markets have the same guidelines, so check to see if stands are required to sell products grown or produced on local or regional farms. Be very suspicious of any market that features bananas--unless you're in Hawaii or Florida!
Farmers Market Tips
Find a Local Farmers Market
3. Join Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) connects participants to a specific farm (or, sometimes, group of farms). You buy a share in a farm and, in return, you get a share of the harvest. You get the freshest, best produce the farm has to offer; the farm has a set of guaranteed sales and money up-front for seasonal expenses.
What Is CSA?
Things to Consider When Choosing a CSA
Sources for Finding a Local CSA
4. Shop at Stores That Label Food Origins
If you have a choice of markets, chose one that notes where it sources its products. In particular, look for signs marking the source of seafood, meat, poultry, and produce. Co-ops and health food stores are more likely to clearly denote the origins of the foods they carry, but conventional grocery stores are increasingly labeling their produce sections and meat and seafood counters.
No signs at your local market? Speak to the manager or section managers. Express your interest in locally grown and produced foods. Ask that any locally or regionally grown items at the store be so noted. You'll be surprised at how much good will rises up to meet genuine interest.
5. Shop the Perimeter of Grocery Stores
The aisles around the perimeter of grocery stores contain more ingredients than processed foods. Shop these perimeters for fresh produce, meats, and dairy--precisely those items that you can ask about their source and hopefully find some from near-by sources. Pay particular attention to the produce aisle: if you know your seasons, you may be able to find some locally or regionally grown items.
6. Get Ultra-Local: Plant a Garden
Growing your own food is the ultimate way to eat local. From a simple herb garden to prolific raised beds designed to feed a family, there are lots of ways to grow your own food.
Container Vegetable Gardens
Gorwing Heirloom Vegetables
Growing Kitchen Herbs
Miniatures and Dwarf Fruit Trees
7. Visit U-Picks & Farm Stands
For most city-dwellers, farm stands aren't an everyday food gathering solution. But when the opportunity presents itself, u-picks (where you go to a farm and pick your own produce) are a great source for large quantities of super-fresh produce.
Sources for Finding U-Picks & Farm Stands
8. Choose Restaurants That Source Locally
Frequent restaurants that buy from local and regional farms, growers, and purveyors and continue your support of local farmers and producers even when you eat out.
9. Frequent Locally-Owned Food Producers
Continue your support of a local food system by buying from artisans and locally-owned food producers such as bakeries, butchers, and coffee roasters for foods you don't cook at home or which aren't grown locally.
10. Buy Family Farmed or Fair Trade Products When Local Is Unavailable
Don't live near dairy cows? Buy milk from dairies that buy from family-owned farms. Live in the contiguous 48 states of the U.S. but find yourself unwilling to give up coffee? Buy coffee grown in sustainable ways by people who pay workers fairly.
Eating local foods is certainly about eating food grown closer to home, but it is also about being more aware of your food and how it gets to you.
Eating local foods is better for you, for the environment, and for your taste buds. Here are the top eight big, umbrella-style reasons you should eat more local foods.
1. Local Foods Are Fresher (and Taste Better)
Local food is fresher and tastes better than food that been trucked or flown in from thousands of miles away. Think you can't taste the difference between lettuce picked yesterday and lettuce picked last week, factory-washed, and sealed in plastic? You can.
And fresh food? It lasts longer too.
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Food Processors Directory
Find companies and personnel in the Food processing industry
www.eejudge.com
2. Local Foods Are Seasonal (and Taste Better)
It must be said: Deprivation leads to greater appreciation. When does a cozy room feel best? When you've come in from out of the freezing cold. Fresh corn in season tastes best when you haven't eaten any in 9 or 10 months--long enough for its taste to be a slightly blurred memory that is suddenly awakened with that first bite of the season. Eating locally means eating seasonally, with all the deprivation and resulting pleasure that accompanies it.
3. Local Foods Usually Have Less Environmental Impact
Those thousands of miles some food is shipped? That leads to a big carbon footprint for a little bunch of herbs. Look for farmers who follow organic and sustainable growing practices and energy use to minimize your food's environmental impact.
4. Local Foods Preserve Green Space & Farmland
The environmental question of where you food comes from is bigger than its "carbon footprint." By buying foods grown and raised closer to where you live, you help maintain farmland and green space in your area.
5. Local Foods Promote Food Safety
The fewer steps there are between your food's source and your table the less chance there is of contamination. Also, when you know where your food comes from and who grows it, you know a lot more about that food. During the e. coli outbreak in spinach in 2006 I knew the spinach in my refrigerator was safe because I knew it was grown in Yolo County by a farmer I knew, and, as importantly, that it didn't come from Salinas County where the outbreak was. (The knowledge would have worked in reverse too: if the outbreak had been in Yolo County instead, I would have known to throw that bunch of greens and scrub down the fridge!)
6. Local Foods Support Your Local Economy
Money spent with local farmers, growers, and artisans and locally-owned purveyors and restaurants all stays close to home, working to build your local economy instead of being handed over to a corporation in another city, state, or country. Since the food moves through fewer hands, more of the money you spend tends to get to the people growing it.
To make the biggest local economic impact with your food budget, seek out producers who pay their workers a fair wage and practice social justice in their business.
7. Local Foods Promote Variety
Local foods create greater variety of foods available. Farmers who run community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs), sell at farmers' markets, and provide local restaurants have the demand and the support for raising more types of produce and livestock. Think Brandywines, Early Girls, and Lemon Boys instead of "tomatoes."
8. Local Foods Create Community
Knowing where your food is from connects you to the people who raise and grow it. Instead of having a single relationship--to a big supermarket--you develop smaller connections to more food sources: vendors at the farmers' market, the local cheese shop, your favorite butcher, the co-op that sells local eggs, a local café that roasts coffee.
Eating locally? It connects you to a larger world.
1. Local Foods Are Fresher (and Taste Better)
Local food is fresher and tastes better than food that been trucked or flown in from thousands of miles away. Think you can't taste the difference between lettuce picked yesterday and lettuce picked last week, factory-washed, and sealed in plastic? You can.
And fresh food? It lasts longer too.
Sponsored Links
HSBC Offshore Account
A Range Of Offshore & Expat Banking Services. Apply Now!
Offshore.HSBC.com
Create Magic and Miracles
Set Goals, Change Your Life Act Now 25% off CD Set
dejavupublishing.com
Food Processors Directory
Find companies and personnel in the Food processing industry
www.eejudge.com
2. Local Foods Are Seasonal (and Taste Better)
It must be said: Deprivation leads to greater appreciation. When does a cozy room feel best? When you've come in from out of the freezing cold. Fresh corn in season tastes best when you haven't eaten any in 9 or 10 months--long enough for its taste to be a slightly blurred memory that is suddenly awakened with that first bite of the season. Eating locally means eating seasonally, with all the deprivation and resulting pleasure that accompanies it.
3. Local Foods Usually Have Less Environmental Impact
Those thousands of miles some food is shipped? That leads to a big carbon footprint for a little bunch of herbs. Look for farmers who follow organic and sustainable growing practices and energy use to minimize your food's environmental impact.
4. Local Foods Preserve Green Space & Farmland
The environmental question of where you food comes from is bigger than its "carbon footprint." By buying foods grown and raised closer to where you live, you help maintain farmland and green space in your area.
5. Local Foods Promote Food Safety
The fewer steps there are between your food's source and your table the less chance there is of contamination. Also, when you know where your food comes from and who grows it, you know a lot more about that food. During the e. coli outbreak in spinach in 2006 I knew the spinach in my refrigerator was safe because I knew it was grown in Yolo County by a farmer I knew, and, as importantly, that it didn't come from Salinas County where the outbreak was. (The knowledge would have worked in reverse too: if the outbreak had been in Yolo County instead, I would have known to throw that bunch of greens and scrub down the fridge!)
6. Local Foods Support Your Local Economy
Money spent with local farmers, growers, and artisans and locally-owned purveyors and restaurants all stays close to home, working to build your local economy instead of being handed over to a corporation in another city, state, or country. Since the food moves through fewer hands, more of the money you spend tends to get to the people growing it.
To make the biggest local economic impact with your food budget, seek out producers who pay their workers a fair wage and practice social justice in their business.
7. Local Foods Promote Variety
Local foods create greater variety of foods available. Farmers who run community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs), sell at farmers' markets, and provide local restaurants have the demand and the support for raising more types of produce and livestock. Think Brandywines, Early Girls, and Lemon Boys instead of "tomatoes."
8. Local Foods Create Community
Knowing where your food is from connects you to the people who raise and grow it. Instead of having a single relationship--to a big supermarket--you develop smaller connections to more food sources: vendors at the farmers' market, the local cheese shop, your favorite butcher, the co-op that sells local eggs, a local café that roasts coffee.
Eating locally? It connects you to a larger world.
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