By Nancy Frey
Chief Sustainability Yogi
Revolutionary Instructor
The next time you have something in your hand to throw away, ask yourself these questions:
1. Did I really need it? (Rethink)
2. Can I use it for something else? (Repurpose)
3. Can I fix it? (Repair/Refurbish)
4. Can it be composted? (first disposal choice)
5. Can it be recycled? (second disposal choice)
6. Is it landfill? (last option)
Composting is fantastic for the earth! It is a super food for the earth and provides nutrients to grow delicious crops. Whether you compost at home or use your green waste bin provided by your garbage collector, you are contributing to this zero-waste process and improving soil composition!
Recology, our local garbage collector, process the compost and sells back to our local farmers to use on their crops. Sonoma County is exploring managing our own composting facility so be on the lookout for this new development!
Commercial compost (yard waste)
All food items **this supercharges the compost and makes it high nutritional value!!
Pizza boxes or soiled paper
Used paper towels and tissues
100% cotton items
Personal compost – closed bin
Mix nitrogen (green leafy things) with food waste
Aerate often (weekly)– either use a bin that can be turned/rotated, or simply use a pitchfork to turn the soil
Caution: meat and other fragrant foods that might attract rodents to your yard or house
Note slow decomposing items like eggshells or avocado and banana skins…they might take a bit longer to decompose!
*TIP: Keep a small bucket/container with tight lid near the sink to collect the messy stuff. Line with black/white newspaper, craft paper or nothing, then empty into your compost/yard waste bin. I use a stainless-steel ice bucket that I wasn’t using. It matches my stainless appliances and looks nice and is convenient.
Biodegradable vs compostable – it’s all about timing. Not all biodegradable material is compostable.
Biodegradable refers to a material’s ability to eventually degrade and is often used as a generic term.
Compostable refers to a material’s ability to degrade within a short amount of time (under six months) in a composting operation (residential or industrial).
How does this relate to yoga? In our physical yoga practice, we learn the art of the balance between effort and ease. In our life as a consumer we are learning the balance of give and take. Taking resources and giving back as we can. We do this by connecting to our root chakra, or the Muladhara chakra, which is associated with the Earth element. We are connecting to our roots, connecting to the earth. In this way, our actions of composting can be giving back to the earth that reciprocates by providing us sustenance and a home for us.
Revolution Yoga is on the quest to become zero-waste. Join us by composting your paper towels and tissues and bringing your reusable water bottle to the studio!
Join Nancy in a sustainability workshop on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12:30 p.m. This donation-based course will provide you with easy and essential tips to lessen your carbon footprint and live more simply and in harmony with the Earth. Sign up.