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How Can Dried Leaves and Food Waste Be Useful?

You can convert the food waste and other leftovers from your kitchen into organic, nutrient-rich products. Things like dried leaves, twigs, and paper are rich in carbon, while others like coffee, tea grounds, grass, waste fruit, and vegetables are rich in nitrogen. By using this smelly and non-edible stuff, you can grow flowers or vegetables with it—the process of converting waste materials into something beneficial is done by composting.

The natural decomposition of waste material and recycling of organic material that is humus-rich soil is called compost. The organic matter in food waste is used for composting and making fertilizers. Composting is an eco-friendly and effective way to dispose of kitchen food waste.

Using food waste as fertilizers

Plastics and food wastes are the biggest challenges faced by the environment today. Millions of tons of food waste and plastics are thrown into the garbage and cause pollution. These food wastes can be utilized better by making compost out of them, which can be used as organic fertilizers. By doing so, the earth can be saved from growing pollution, and something productive can be made from waste.

How to convert food waste to compost?

  • Separate edible food waste from fruit and vegetable peels and wasted cooked food from non-edible ones like plastic into a container.
  • Collect dry organic leaves, sawdust, and wood ash in the container
  • A big bucket, earthen pot, or container drilled holes to let the air in.
  • The bottom of the container is filled with a layer of soil.
  • Add food waste like fruits, vegetables, and food craps in alternate layers with dry waste like dried leaves, sawdust, and straws.
  • The container is covered with a plank of wood or a plastic sheet to help retain heat and moisture.
  • Check the container regularly and sprinkle water to moisten it if it is too dry.

Add sawdust and wood ash to the container to speed up the composting process. Fruits and vegetable peels are the number one food leftovers you can use. Also, dried leaves and grass clippings can help to get nutrient-rich fertilizers.

Use of Dry Leaves

Dry leaves are abundant, and you can use them for good by making compost out of them. Plant materials such as vegetable leftovers, grass, and dry leaves can be decomposed and create compost, which enriches soils, filters out harmful pests, holds moisture, and suppresses plant diseases. Another important advantage of using compost is that it can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

Another advantage of using dry leaves in the composting process is that it contributes carbon and keeps the texture keeps the compost aerated. This is critical as its micro-organisms need oxygen to decompose organic matters.

Conclusion

Instead of getting confused about what to do with waste food and dry leaves or throwing them in the garbage, one can use them as important resources for fertilizer the soil or protecting the plants.

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