by Ronna Sweeney, KUAM News Monday, February 04, 2008 Subscribe to Ronna's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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According to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan of 2006, in 2008 alone our island population is predicted to produce around 148,258 pounds of trash. That same report also estimates that three-quarters of such waste going into the Ordot Dump can be either recycled or composted. Recently we headed over to the Department of Agriculture in Mangilao where composting seems to be second nature.

And while we were there, spokesperson for the Guam Environmental Protection Agency Tammy Anderson walked us through the five basic steps you need to know if you want to try composting at home. Step 1, she explained, is to locate your site.

"With composting you want an area you can reach with accessibly," Anderson stated. "Someplace you will actually use. We encourage families if they don't have enough space at their individual house to maybe pick a site at the family ranch and have a composting pile for their entire family to use."

Moving along, now that you've decided on a location, just what do you put it all in? Step 2 is to select a composting bin, with Anderson saying, "There's lots of different types of bins you can use for composting. You can either buy a rubber bin; you can put one together with palates and in some areas if you have enough room and you don't necessarily have the ability to have a bin, just make a compost pile."

Whether made of palates or plastic, what's going into your composting bin is probably one of the most important components. Green waste is made up of organic matter like palms, grass and vegetable peelings. But Anderson says what a lot of people don't know can be composted is brown waste - that's stuff like human and animal hair, dryer lint and coffee grounds.

Step 3 is selecting the materials to be composted. "The reason we're encouraging people to use their green and brown waste in compost instead of sending it to Ordot is because everyone knows there's a crisis at Ordot right now, and so if we can limit the amount of things going to Ordot before they even get there, I think we'll be able to help out," Anderson said.

So once you put your brown and green wastes inside the composting bin, just how long does it take to break down? Step 4 is putting it all together. She continued, "Composting can either be very quick or it can take a long time depending on how much effort you want to put into the process and how quickly you need the material. So if you're a farmer really counting on using compost as a soil amendment you might want to speed up the process by alternating your green and brown waste, by turning it, by adding different types of things that will speed up the bacteria breakdown."

Anderson notes it's best to begin with your browns and alternate layers of browns and greens in your compost bin. Also a good tip is that kitchen waste should always be covered with brown material. And once the materials breakdown, it's on to Step 5: using the finished product. "Compost can be used for a lot of different things. Because it's very rich in nutrients you can use it for potting and growing seedlings. It can also be used as a soil amendment, so say you have an area where you need to fill in for your garden bed. You can mix it in there. There's a lot of different places in your home and your yard where you can use compost instead of having to have to get dirt from somewhere else," Anderson concluded.

If you'd like more information on how to compost simply stop by the Guam EPA's office in Tiyan or call 475-1658.