Unlock the Power of Kitchen Scraps Through Composting

In the bustling city of Ghaziabad, terrace gardener, Manjushree Ladiya, shares her valuable guidance on transforming kitchen scraps into a garden of hope through composting. With our urban world expanding by the day, it is difficult to understand proper garbage disposal practices. It's in this battle, especially against the relentless tide of biodegradable waste, that Manjushree's wisdom shines like a beacon of hope. In her words, we find not just knowledge but a call to action, an invitation to nurture our environment with a touch of perseverance and a sprinkle of love. “Composting is not as hard as people think it is. One can easily convert their everyday kitchen waste into compost, which contains all the essential nutrients for healthy growth of plants,” she speaks about her perspective. Manjushree has been utilizing various components to create distinct varieties of compost in individual containers. Major 5 ways have been explained below: Onion and Garlic Peels:  Manjushree has been gathering the onion and garlic peels in separate pots in preparation for composting. "The compost created from onion and garlic peels is rich in potassium, which is a crucial nutrient for plants," she claims. It is great for making compost and works wonders for growing chillies. Banana Peels:  Banana peels, a frequent kitchen waste, are an excellent component for composting. While it is possible to compost it alongside other kitchen waste, Manjushree advises doing so for optimal outcomes. Because of its high potash content, she claims that it works well as a fertilizer for fruit trees and vegetable plants. Using Tea Leaves:  She explains that it is preferable to compost spent tea leaves rather than directly adding them to plants."Tea leaf compost works best for flowering plants, especially roses, and composting improves its quality. Its development and blossoming would be accelerated by adding the compost, according to her. Manjushree continues, "You can make tea leaf compost in as little as a five-inch pot." It takes around three months to be ready, just like any other compost. Mosambi and orange Peels:  She recommends processing orange peels and mosambi peels separately because they take longer to decompose. Since they are citrus fruits, their compost is a great source of the nutrients potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen needed for plant growth. Additionally, they can be utilized to create bio enzymes and liquid fertilizers. Mix Compost:  Manjushree uses all the leftover kitchen scraps, such as vegetable peels and greens, to create mixed compost. She advises against adding cooked items or substances to the mixture, such as oil, ghee, or salt."The compost is suitable for all types of plants and is made by adding only raw vegetable waste," she continues. She draws inspiration from a quote that fuels her commitment to work consistently: ​​​​​​​ - “The ground's generosity takes in our compost and grows beauty! Try to be more like the ground.”

 Learn composting through WhatsApp groups

If you always wondered about how to convert your household waste into composting, then you can now learn it on Whatsapp. Five environment conscious citizens of Pimpri Chinchwad have formed two Whatsapp groups for guiding people in this regard.  Siddharth Naik, one of the admins, said, "We are a group of enthusiasts who have been preparing compost from wet household waste in our homes for around two years. We now want to guide environment conscious citizens. We have formed two Whatsapp groups, through which we tell people how to do this at home."  Anand Sitaraman, another member said, "I live in Pimple Saudagar and have been preparing compost at home for two years. All the people who have experience in preparing compost at home like me have come together to make Pimple Saudagar a zero-waste area."  Rahul Bhagwat, an enthusiast from Rose Country in Pimple Saudagar, said, "Readymade kits to make compost at home cost around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 initially. But if you are willing to prepare the kit yourself, the cost can reduce to less than half. The recurring expenditure is around Rs 100 to 150 per month. The kit needs very less space and can be kept in a corner of the flat's balcony or terrace, and if one follows the correct procedure, no foul smell is generated."  These enthusiasts held a training session last month for people who were eager to take up composting at home. Many of them completed the first cycle of the process and have prepared compost from household garbage at home. One of the successful Whatsapp group member, Revati Kulkarni from Shubashree in Pimple Saudagar, said, " I use vegetable waste, leftover food and other wet waste to make compost. I live in a row house and use the compost for plants in my small garden." "The groups help a lot as different people share a variety of experiences. Queries related to composting are answered quickly. Anyone posting on irrelevant topics are removed instantly. So everyone is focused," Kulkarni added.  Mahesh Pathak, another member from Rajaveer Palace Phase I said he was reluctant initially to start composting fearing foul smell. "When I attended the training workshop I saw that there is no foul smell. This motivated me to implement a composting project at home. Six to seven other residents of our society have also started composting," he added.The groups have 500 active members and a third group is in the offing.