Eco Challenge 2024 May

Composting

Composting is considered a meaningful Jewish practice as it aligns with many of our highest values and principles:

• Stewardship of the Earth (Bal Tashchit): encourages the responsible use of resources. Composting allows for the recycling of organic waste into nutrient-rich soil, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and promoting environmental sustainability.
• Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World): Composting contributes to the health of the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and improving soil quality. Individuals who compost are actively engaging in the repair and restoration of the Earth.
• Respect for Life: Jewish tradition emphasizes the sanctity of life and the interconnectedness of all living things. Composting honors this principle by returning organic matter to the earth in a way that nourishes and sustains new life, fostering a cycle of renewal and growth.
• Community Responsibility: Jewish communities emphasize the importance of collective responsibility and caring for one another. Composting can be a communal activity, bringing people together to work towards a common goal of environmental stewardship and sustainability.
• Gratitude (Hakarat Hatov): Composting encourages mindfulness and appreciation for the gifts of nature. By recognizing the value of organic matter and utilizing it to enrich the soil, individuals cultivate a sense of gratitude for the Earth's abundance and blessings.

ACTION ITEMS

How do you compost?
Fill a compost bin or pile with a mix of nitrogen-rich green materials (kitchen scraps, fresh yard waste — grass clippings, plant trimmings) and carbon-rich brown materials (dried leaves, straw, shredded newspaper, cardboard),  making sure there is enough moisture. Turn often to aerate.

When the bin is full, start a new pile, allowing the old pile to finish decomposing until it is completely black and there are no signs of food waste remaining. If it starts to smell, add more brown material.

Double-rotating composting bins allow filling a second compartment while the first compartment’s material decomposes and make it easy to keep materials aerated.

What system should you choose?
How you compost will depend on the type of space you have. Homeowners can set up a compost bin in their backyard, either an enclosed bin or an open bin, or a tumbler.

What can be composted?

• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Ground up egg shells
• Shredded natural paper products (eg, paper towels, brown paper)
• Yard trimmings or leaves (avoid any that have not been treated with pesticides)

What should be avoided?

• Meat, fish and dairy products due to foul odors
• Whole eggs
• Yard trimmings treated with pesticides
• Glossy paper
• Glass, plastics, or metals
• Coal ashes
• Pet waste
• Diseased plants

Note: just because something says biodegradable, does not mean is it compostable.

Where can I find more information or step-by-step guides to composting?

• https://www.almanac.com/how-compost-guide-composting-home
• https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2019posts/benefits-of-composting.html
• https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
• https://www.foodwellalliance.org/compost
• https://www.georgiarecycles.org/tools-resources/citizen-resource-guides/composting-in-georgia/
• https://www.litterless.com/where-to-compost/georgia

Get composting and meet the challenge!

FACTS ABOUT COMPOSTING

Become a Jewish Environmentalist in Your Own Home!

What is composting?
Composting is an amazing natural process that turns your kitchen scraps and yard clippings into nutrient-rich material that can be used to enrich soil, enhance plant growth, and make your flowers bloom more fully.

Why compost?
When food rots in landfills, in the absence of oxygen it creates methane gas, a greenhouse gas 20-times more potent and 80-times more capable of trapping heat on the planet than carbon dioxide. Composting kitchen scraps and other materials keeps them out of landfills and transforms them into nutrient rich soil and reduces the production of greenhouse gas.  Composting can play a crucial role in reducing organic waste, conserving resources, and contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to waste management.

Who can compost?
Everyone! The method you choose will depend on how much space you have. Homeowners can set up a compost site in their yard. People that live in apartments can compost on a small scale using indoor composting systems designed for limited space. There are companies that provide compost pickup services.

What are the benefits of composting?
By embracing composting, individuals, communities, and businesses can contribute to a more sustainable and ecologically sound approach to waste management and agriculture, promoting long-term environmental health and resource conservation.

Does Temple Sinai compost?
Temple Sinai uses compostable products wherever possible and has engaged the services of a company that takes away our food and other waste for off-site composting.

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