When composted, this same food isn’t a waste product at all. Instead, it’s a raw material to be aerobically (with oxygen) broken down into nutrients that are beneficial to the environment. The resulting “black gold” is a soil rich in microorganisms that can help flowers, lawns, trees, and shrubs grow strong. If you want to set the stage for effective composting, Carr says that reserving enough space is key. You’ll want your compost bin to be at least one cubic yard, or 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet. “Anything smaller and you’ll lose a lot of heat,” he explains. Getting your pile up to between 135 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit will fend off viruses and promote decomposition, and it’s difficult to do if the surface area-to-volume ratio of your compost is too high. Carr has found that many backyard compost bins on the market are actually too small to fit this criterion, which is all the more reason to DIY your own. Making your own compost bin will also likely be cheaper and allow you to customize based on your space. Here are Carr’s three favorite techniques for doing so, based on the scraps you’re adding to it: Start by standing three up in your yard to form a U-shape, and drill them together to lock them in place. You can leave it at that or add a fourth pallet to make the pile more enclosed. Consider putting the fourth pallet on a hinge so that you can easily access your pile, or add a wire lid to the top of the cube that you can open and close when you want to check on it. Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
