Leaves, grass clippings and trimmings make up 20 percent of the waste buried in landfills. Biodegradation does not always occur in landfills, so composting material is an essential part of reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfills. For composting to occur properly, there must be moisture, aeration and an increase in temperature. Below is an experiment you can try with your family, which involves starting a composting bin indoors. As long as your bin receives a sufficient amount of sunlight, the environment should support the degradation process.
Materials and Methods
Collect organic waste such as yard clippings, fruit peels, etc. Any organic waste free from chemicals will do. This organic waste as well as water and soil can be mixed together in an indoor bucket. Over a two-week period, measure the temperature of the small, indoor compost bucket at two different locations as well as the air temperature above the bin. It’s best to use a digital thermometer.
Also measure and record the percentage of moisture at two locations in the bin. To collect the percentage of moisture, take samples from two locations in the bucket and place them in a labeled aluminum drying pan. First, weigh each sample in the drying pan (wet weight) on a digital scale then incubate the pan in the oven for 24 to 48 hours at 100-105 degrees Celsius. After it’s dry, weigh the pan again (dry weight). To calculate the percentage of moisture, plug the two weights into this formula: Percent Moisture = (Wet Weight – Dry Weight) / Dry Weight x 100.
Next, examine the compost’s texture during these two weeks to see if it’s raw (non-decomposed) organic matter, decomposed organic matter or matter that was in transition between these two states.
Results
Your compost bin will have varying results, but over a two-week period, it will be interesting to see how the contents of your bin progress. Analyze how the moisture, temperature and texture of your compost bin changed and how it relates to the state of the degradation process. Doing this experiment with your children will engage them and teach them the benefits of living a greener lifestyle.
