Composting in a Few Steps – Odor-Free Techniques Applicable Even in Apartments

What is Composting?

Composting is a natural way to recycle organic materials. During composting, used organic materials break down and humus is created from them. Creating humus is important because, in addition to the macro- and microelements found in soil, humus plays a guiding and coordinating role in soil life: it binds together the tiny particles of soil into crumbs, provides stimulating substances to plant roots, and supplies nutrients to microorganisms active in the soil. Without humus, higher-order plants cannot feed, grow, and reproduce. Therefore, composting is the best thing we can do with household and garden waste.

Composting in the Garden

Ingredients:

• a suitable place for composting
• compost bin
• collection container
• pruning shears
• axe
• shovel/garden fork
• watering can
• plastic sheeting/textile

If you have a garden where you can build your own composter, the first and perhaps most important thing is to choose the right location. It is important to select a partially shaded and flat area. A family of four needs a composter of 1-1.5 m³.

After selecting the right location, purchase or build a compost bin. The bin can be made of wood, wicker, plastic, or wire mesh – what matters is that it is well-ventilated, dismantlable, and environmentally friendly. You can read more about compost bins here. If you build a compost bin at home yourself, make sure the bottom is ventilated and the top has a lid that doesn't need to be airtight, but should prevent rainwater from getting in.

The next step is to place a thin layer of soil at the bottom of the compost bin, then composting can begin. You can add both green and brown waste to the compost, but you need to pay attention to the proportions. We'll write about this in more detail in a later paragraph.

When about 20 centimeters of waste has accumulated, always place soil on top, because this is how the desired compost can form and the soil also deodorizes. Pour water over the soil layer, but don't soak it.

Over time, the compost gradually collapses, so it needs to be turned every 2-3 months. This is necessary because compressed material forces out the air, and turning it loosens and aerates it. The already formed humus parts help transform the not yet decomposed parts. A garden fork or shovel is sufficient for turning, which allows you to mix the dry parts with the wet ones and the brown parts with the green ones.

What Can and Cannot Be Composted?

The basic materials of good compost are organic materials, however, many materials decompose slowly, others give off unpleasant odors during decomposition, or inhibit the formation of good humus. That is why we should always check what we put into the compost bin.

Compostable materials:

• kitchen waste: fruit, vegetables, potatoes, eggshells (crushed), coffee grounds, tea bag contents, withered cut flowers, dried potted plants
• garden waste: fallen flowers, fallen fruit and vegetables, branches, twigs, leaves, grass clippings, garden weeds
• other waste in small quantities, chopped: untreated wood (unpainted, uncontaminated) paper
• other organic materials: cardboard, hair and nails, wood ash.

Non-compostable materials:

• cooked food scraps: meat, fish, sauces, leftover soups, bread, bones
• contaminated materials: charcoal ash, glass, metal and plastic, colored newspaper, diapers, vacuum cleaner bag contents
• hazardous materials: used oil, used cooking fat, chemicals, paint, batteries, pesticides, candles
• shopping bags: despite what the label says, it is strictly forbidden to throw so-called biodegradable shopping bags into the compost because they are made of plastic as well, just disintegrate into powder, thus contaminating the compost.

Eco-Robots - Composting Made Simple Even in Apartments

The Compocity eco-robots make composting very simple, even in urban buildings. In cities, composting is often a major problem because there are few community composters and it is difficult to compost odor-free in apartments. However, the Compocity robots provide a solution for this.

The system quickly and easily creates nutrient-rich compost, and through the app you can also see your own progress. Currently, the robots can be found in community spaces.

One advantage of the robots compared to outdoor composters is that we can put in many more types of organic waste.

How Do the Composting Robots Work?

1. Insertion: Once you have collected some food waste, open the lid and pour it into the Compocity. Then follow the messages on the display.
2. Pre-compost treatment: Once you close the Compocity lid, the internal sluice gate lowers the waste that entered, thus avoiding unpleasant odors. Microorganisms are injected, and the device automatically blends the capsule contents.
3. Measurements and point scoring: The Compocity takes measurements after the waste enters and during composting as well. After the weight of the waste, you can earn points in the app by scanning the QR code displayed on the screen. With the points you can participate in missions.
4. Compost capsule: The Compocity container is a biodegradable capsule that must be removed from the device after it becomes full and closed with a lid. This way the compost can also be stored. After removal, insert a new capsule.

When Will the Compost Be Ready and What Can We Use It For?

In the case of garden compost, fresh compost is created about 3 months after placing the first layer of organic material, and you need to wait about 12 months to get mature compost. Mature compost is dark, blackish-brown, and crumbles easily.

With the robots, this takes much less time – mature compost can be obtained in about a tenth of the time compared to an outdoor composter.

Compost can be used by mixing it with soil used under plants during planting, placed in flower pots in apartments, in balcony boxes, and we can improve the fertility of vegetable and flower beds, vineyards, and orchards.

Where the Robots Have Already Been Deployed - Save It, Use It Again!

We actually cooperate with Compocity on the "SAVE IT, USE IT AGAIN" project, in which we are looking for the recipe for the urban implementation of sustainable gastronomy in Kaposvár.

The Blue Planet Foundation, in cooperation with Kaposvár Municipality and the British Embassy in Budapest, and joining the UN 'Race to Zero' initiative, jointly launched a pilot project in Kaposvár, which focuses on sustainable thinking and green cities. The program addresses multiple generations at once, in different areas of life – from household waste to food delivery to disposable plastic bottles – drawing attention through tangible solutions to how environmentally sustainable living can become part of the daily lives of Kaposvár residents.

If you want to learn more about the project, head to the Blue Planet Foundation website!