Composting at Home

Up & Away
Feb 12, 2018
2 min read

Composting in Singapore is possible and something that one should really consider!

Photo Credits: JC Yau (Eco Green Living and Garbage Enzyme)

There are multiple ways of composting at home!

Making a Compost Bin

What you need:

Container with lid. Note: Use a translucent or clear plastic container so that you can easily observe your compost bin.
‘Green’ matter - fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags, green leaves and flowers
‘Brown’ matter - cardboard, egg cartons, dry leaves, newspapers, twigs, toilet paper rolls and paper. Note: Make sure to tear items into smaller pieces.
Soil or Compost - to kickstart the process. Note: do purchase these at nurseries instead of using common garden soil.

Instructions:

Drill several holes (about ¼ inch in diameter) at the base of the container for drainage and make sure that the container is elevated above ground.
The ideal ratio for your compost bin is 60% brown matter and 40% green matter. Start by layering brown matter on the base of the container and making sure this layer is about an inch thick.
Start alternating between green matter and brown matter until the container is about 2/3 full. Make sure you always add equal amounts of green and brown matter or slightly more brown matter.
Add in soil or compost.
Cover with another layer of brown matter or coffee grounds and then with container lid. Note: if mixture feels too dry, add some water. The mixture should not be dripping with water but should be moist.
Make sure to mix your compost bin at least once every week. After 3 to 6 months, your compost should be ready! Note: avoid placing compost bins under direct sunlight.

Vermicomposting

Worm Bins from Farmers' Inc

Vermicomposting is making use of various worms to compost. You can purchase a worm bin starter kit from Farmers' Inc, which contains everything you need to start vermicomposting! All you have to do is add vegetable or fruit (no citrus) scraps to the worm bin once or twice a week. Quote "UPAWAY10" to enjoy 10% off these worm bins.