October is Compost Month!
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it; the world and all who dwell therein.”
(Psalm 24:1)
October’s ACTION is COMPOSTING. Commit to one Action each week this month.
Let’s ACT together this year to restore the fullness of God’s earth.
Decaying food (process minus oxygen) in landfills produces methane – a powerful greenhouse gas, 84 times more damaging than carbon dioxide. Solution? Compost that food! Composting ads in oxygen to the process and produces nutrient rich soil. Compost added to the gardens retain water, produces healthier plants and can even pull carbon dioxide out of the air (a process called carbon sequestration)! It’s Earth’s finest form of recycling.
For more information and resources, see below.
Are you a Church leader looking to initiate this program as part of a zero waste campaign? We will have PDF posters from each of our Monthly Actions, that can be downloaded from our “For Leaders” Resource Page.
Week 1
Freeze your food scraps for composting.
Find/rent a kitchen compost container.
Week 2
Build/buy a compost bin.
Feed the compost bin.
Find a compost pic – up service.
Week 3
Add something new to your compost.
Start composting yard waste.
VermiCompost (the worms love it and so does the earth).
Week 4
Encourage a friend/neighbor to compost.
Write a testimonial about composting for Zero Waste Church’s FB page.
Bonus Action! Spread the word about composting by introducing a neighbor, friend or business to the idea!
RESOURCES
Articles:
Chan, K.Y., et al., (2011). Agronomic and Economic Benefits of Garden Organics Compost in Vegetable Production, Compost Science & Utilization, 19, 97-104.
D’Hose, T. et al., (2012). Farm Compost Application: Effects on Crop. Compost Science & Utilization, 20, 49-56.
Rebecca Ryals. R and Silver, W. L. (2013). Effects of organic matter amendments on net primary productivity and greenhouse gas emissions in annual grasslands, Ecological Applications, 23:46-59.
Web Resources:
Bilderback, Ted, Bass, Larry, and Powell, Kim. (January 1, 1992). Composting, A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes. From https://www.content.ces.ncsu.edu/composting-a-guide-to-managing-organic-yard-wastes.
Glenn, Ezra. (August 6, 2018). The ten best composting bins. From https://www. wiki.ezvid.com/best-composting-bins.
Jacques, L. (2017). Soil Power! The dirty way to a green planet. From https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/opinion/sunday/soil-power-the-dirty-way-to-a-greenplanet.
Sigel, Carl. (August 1, 2017) What to Compost in Your Backyard. From http://www.nativityonline.org/caring-common-home-composting-updated-blog-december-28-2015/.
Sherman, Rhonda. (2018). Composting. From https://composting.ces.ncsu.edu/about-composting/.
Sherman, Rhonda. (2018). Vermicomposting for Households. From https://composting.ces.ncsu.edu/vermicomposting-2/vermicomposting-for-households/.
Vanderlinden, Colleen. (August 6, 2018). Saving and Storing Kitchen Scraps for Composting. From https://www.thespruce.com/storing-kitchen-scraps-for-composting-2539506
Videos:
Groves, Shea. (May 1, 2016). DIY Home Composting. From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUR6Yba7Fk4.
Kiss the Ground. (May 8, 2017). The Compost Story (Full Video) by Kiss the Ground. From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqDQD8cvO5Y.
Books:
Balz, Michelle, (2017). Composting for a New Generation: Latest Techniques for the Bin and Beyond. Minneapolis: Cool Springs Press.
Ebling, E (Ed.), Composting Basics: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started (How To Basics).Lanham: Stackpole Books.
This is part of our RESTORING GOD’S EARTH, A YEAR OF PERSONAL ACTION program; A monthly guide to help individuals learn the many ways they can help care for God’s creation.