My dream towards Sustainable Living!

Most of us open the Cayal - Our Local Renting page with one thought in our minds - what less can we buy today! As simple as it may sound, this thought is the most important driving force behind the dream of sustainable living.

I started my journey on eco-friendly practices sometime in 2012. Back then, I wasn't aware of sustainable living and jumped on segregation of the waste we generated and composting it only because it just seemed like the right thing to do with BBMP not picking waste from individual homes. It was probably the first time i started to look at the waste I generate more cautiously and began introspecting on "where my trash really goes?"

Being a hardcore Bengaluru girl at heart, I have witnessed this beautiful laidback serene green city turn into a garbage city and that provoked me to read up further about best practices with respect to waste segregation and how to properly dispose off the waste we generate.

I started aerobic composting in the confines of my then tiny balcony and I am happy to share that i have not looked back since. Been 7+ years now that i harvest Black Gold regularly, yet that feeling of not trashing the world and that feeling of giving back to nature is priceless!! This is what happens when you carry out a sustainable process, there is just no looking back, because its just the right thing to do!

As a next step, I started growing my veggies in my balcony. Learnt the challenges of container gardening and how to address them. Made like-minded friends and now there's no looking back. Today I can whole heartedly claim that growing your own food is probably the biggest environmental impact one can have. Your food travelling less to reach you just makes so much sense now when you think of the word - sustainability!

As the sustainability bug hit the other aspects of my lifestyle, I pondered how much we really buy and most importantly if we really need all of it. The 3R mantra of Reduce- Reuse - Recycle motivated me to think of the different aspects of my life which I could change.

With a toddler at home then in 2012, toys were a norm! Buying what we felt was good for her was common, however, slowly my focus shifted to renting toys as I understood that children outgrow toys. That was when i first started renting toys way back in 2012. When my second one was born, I had made up my mind about not buying new toys as I already had enough and was only going to reuse them. I only wanted to rent more children's stuff as I understood how they outgrow stuff very quickly.

It was during one such occasions when I was looking to rent a costume for a Halloween party, that I connected with the founder of Cayal, Anandhi. I was probably one of the first customers of this lovely local renting platform in Oct 2017 - back then, it was just a pilot on Whatsapp! – Now I am a regular there and have seen Cayal has grown across users and categories. Imagine items gathering dust at your place being put to good use elsewhere or Imagine not having to buy a grand dress which you might probably use only once! Just makes so much sense indeed! 

Below is a picture of the sewing machine i rented on Cayal. I repurposed old dhoties into cotton squares for my little one and sarees to table runners and cushion covers. When you repurpose and reuse, you inch a little closer to that dream of sustainability too! And the icing on the cake - sewing machine on rent! 

Thanks to everyone who has been silently marching towards the dream of sustainable living by buying one less thing and renting it/putting it up for rent instead ! Surely one of the best things to do for our planet!

All about Modern Cloth Diapers!

Most of us tend to relate babies with lot of work apart from the cuddles and fun. Its no surprise then that thinking of a sustainable option for diapering them even makes it to the "list of things for babies". A tired, overwhelmed,  sleep deprived mother would surely take it easy and use disposables than add more mess to her routine by using cloth nappies for her squish. Also nuclear families and less spaces to dry make it close to impossible to use nappies for babies. But, but, but all these were true until modern cloth diapers came into picture! Nowadays it is possible to use cloth on a baby s bum and still go about life normally without being overwhelmed by the decision!

Thanks to a variety of options available in the market today, a new mother can go for what suits her and her family the best without contributing to the garbage mess.

If you are a new mommy or a to-be mommy or a new parent, one of the not so memorable parts of raising a baby is diaper changes. I am sure most agree to this. And thanks to our commercially available disposable diapers, most parents, including fathers willingly change diapers because its something that they can wash their hands off, quite literally! Convenience is a major factor favouring disposable diapers. However, have you thought a little ahead about what happens to these once they are off those cute bums ? They land up in your area's sanitary waste bin and mostly will end up in a landfill staying put for hundreds of years. It will stay there even after your baby has babies of its own. Literally for generations to come polluting the land in which it is present,  leeching out toxins thereby enabling the toxins to get back into the food chain. 

A new born needs on a average 6-8 diapers a day, sometimes more too. In a week, that amounts to 56 diapers, and in a year a whopping 2500( approximately) diapers! Assuming the baby is potty trained only by 2 years, you would have thrown out 5000 diapers which will stay for eternity! While this statistics is alarming, one needs to understand the kind of chemicals that go into masking natural smells. Do we really need to expose our precious little squishes to things like that? 

Picture courtesy: Internet 

While sposies have made life easy for new parents,  one must accept the price we pay for it - Ruthless pollution, right from energy used for making these thin paper like plastics to leeching toxins which finally end up in foodchains. Surely not the right kind of legacy to leave behind.

Picture courtesy: Internet 

When my first one was born,  7 years back, we knew langots, but they were messy and needed frequent change. Also it was a big task to get laundry done and one had to literally avoid outings for fear of changing nappies. As i gave in and started using sposies for its convenience especially for nights, life was simple but as i read up the pollution they created i resented using them but had no alternative. Finally a like minded friend educated me about cloth diapers.. I was quite bowled over by the convenience it offered. The best part was it was reusable! I was so happy but those were available only in the USA! And they costed a bomb. Though my family revolted, i made sure my husband bought 4 cloth diapers from a famous American brand on his official trip. He too was amused by the fact that we had to pay so much for covering up baby's bums, but silently supported my craze for reusable stuff. 

When she was 1.5 years old, there was an Indian company making cloth diapers in chennai.. At once i ordered online from them and used them. Still sposies had to be used for some occasions as i was the only one who was comfortable cleaning cloth diapers and family felt it was messy. With time and reiteration my family slowly understood what i was talking about.

When my second one was born, i had already made up my mind about using cloth diapers. The facebook group Cloth Diapering India helped me understand so much about the latest cloth diapers in the market and the convenience each of them offered. I am thankful that i was aware of the choices i could make and am happy to share that my second one is clothdiapered all the time, be it parties, vacations, outings, movies. One might think cloth diapering means more water usage/ more electricity usage. But it really is not. Please refer the image below on how much water is used as a comparison between sposies and cloth diapers. 

                  Picture courtesy: Internet 

Whenever i meet any new parent, my mind almost instantaneously races to talk to them about cloth diapers and their goodness. Like the saying goes, sharing is caring indeed and i am now going to share information on modern cloth diapers as i care for our environment! 

Please take time to read so you can make an informed and conscious choice about what suits your child best.

Types of Cloth diapers:

   Picture courtesy: Internet 

Category A: No waterproof shell- Best for summer/ play time/ short outings 

1. Flats ( cotton squares) with snappy

2. Prefolds with snappy

3. Fitteds - with snappable stay dry/ non stay dry inserts. 

Category B: With waterproof shell-  Best for night time/ parties/ long outings

1. Single or double gusset PUL diaper covers ( used with any cloth inserts)

2. Pocket diapers ( stay dry options- suede lined or fleece lined) 

3. All in one diapers - inserts are sewn in

4. All in two diapers - these come with detachable inserts which can be staydry/ non staydry.

All cloth diapers are available in 3 basic sizes.

- Newborn Size: 0-10 months/ 2.5kgs- 7kgs

- Petit Size : 6-12 months/ 5-10kgs

- One Size: Toddlers

One has to exercise their choice in choosing from these sizes according to the build of the baby. My second one at 14 months still fits into petit fitteds. 

Category A, Type 1: Flats

Flats are the most versatile options for cloth diapering mommies. I personally love it because it dries very quickly and is a blessing during vacations. One can dry these overnight inside the hotel room under a fan! Cotton cloth being a natural fiber absorbs very well and squares of different sizes can be folded in a multitude of ways to suit babies from new born size to toddler size. These can be secured on those cute bums using a snappy like in the picture below.

The concept of using a snappy though new, is very convenient. This is probably the most economical of modern cloth diapering options. Also DIY freaks can upcycle old dupattas, dhoties and similar stuff into squares of different sizes. The most common fold with a cotton square is shown below.

There are various other folds one can try which is summarized in the website below. 

https://www.paddedtushstats.com/flat-folds-table/

Category A, Type 2: Prefolds

Prefolds are most suited for summers and newborns when the caregivers don't have the time to fold flats. These come with thick layers of cotton at the centre to help absorb quickly. They are breathable and can be secured with snappy like in the image below.

The thick layer at the centre can take a little more time to dry but it works great. For a quick outing like a hospital visit you can use a diaper cover on this and carry more prefolds for changing if need be. 

Category A, Type 3:Fitteds

Fitted diapers look like disposable diapers except they are loaded with goodness and more! They come with a non waterproof outer shell and inserts that can be snapped inside. The inner side of fitteds can be either stay dry or non stay dry. 

Stay dry effect keeps the moisture away from baby's bum thereby baby not feeling wet. It can achieved with a fleece or a microsuede lining on the insides. Below image shows a fitted diaper with fleece lined stay dry inner and inserts.

Fitteds work great for day time naps and are available in such cute prints which can instantly add more cuteness to those squishy bums! Whats more, these are available as handmades too and very much from local people! Image below shows some of the cute prints.

They work great for day naps and can also best used for nighttime with diaper covers.

Category B, Type 1: Covers

PUL diaper covers:  PUL stands for Polyurethane laminate. It is a compound fabric made by laminating a cloth fabric to one or both sides of a thin film of polyurethane. The best part of these PUL covers is their versatility. You can use any inserts inside them and you can be fully assured that there wont be any accidents.

The picture above has a padfolded cotton cloth as insert with the diaper cover. The best part avout PUL is that it is breathable and slightly stretchy. Cotton squares from upcycled clothing can be used as inserts too and that would be highly easy on pockets too. Flats can be used with these. However if one wishes to provide the baby with a stay dry feel, they can use fleece staydry liners available separately.

Best part about these covers is that during every diaper change,  the cover can be air dried and used along with next diaper change as long as it feels fresh.

PUL covers with padfolded flats make a great combination for vacations. Flats dry super quick, air dry covers as long as only pee to handle and reuse them!

Category B, Type 2: Pocket Diapers

Pocket diapers: These are the most common modern cloth diapers. They come with pockets which house the inserts. Inserts can range from upcycled padfolded cotton cloth to hemp inserts. Most pockets come with a stay dry layer on the inside ensuring baby feels dry. Generally suede or fleece provides stay dry feel. Image below shows a pocket diaper.

These are widely available and the china makes are quite cheap. Beware of bad products. However the good ones are very reliable and absolutely no chance of accidents with these. I prefer micro fleece lined stay dry pockets for outings, parties and vacations.

Category B, Type 3:

AIO's - All in One diapers

These have inserts sewn into them and have super absorbancy. Mostly with stay dry inner they are great replacements for the sposies. They look exactly like disposables and function similarly. Extremely easy to put on too. They work great as night time diapers too.  However the only factor that one needs to consider before buying these is the climate of the region they live in. These are best suited for sunny areas or those that use a dryer for clothes because inserts being sewn in makes them relatively slow at drying after wash. Attached below is a picture of an AIO.

                                 Picture courtesy:  Internet

Category B, Type 4: 

AI2's - All in Two's Diaper

These are similar to AIO's except that the inserts are not sewn inside permanently. These have snappable inserts which are detachable. One can procure inserts separately and change inserts if the outer shell is not wet. They are either suede lined or fleece lined to keep the baby feeling dry. For heavy wetters, we can use an extra bamboo cotton or hemp insert to provide more absorbancy. The outer shell is PUL laminated and hence waterproof. They work great for travel and according to me are the best option for night time diapers. My son is a heavy wetter and can go without needing a change for 8 hours at night in an AI2 with a hemp insert. Some Ai2's also come with a pocket where you can stuff more inserts. Detachable inserts make drying a breeze. Versatility with altering the absorbing power instead of buying a new diaper is a very good feature.  So overall this is a real good option for cloth diapering. Seen below is a picture of an AI2 with 3 snappable cotton inserts with stay dry layer.

However don't think they will be too bulky on the baby because they are super trim :) Check the image below if you don't believe me! These are two ai2's from two different Indian brands. They come in beautiful eye catchy prints too! 

I have covered all the different options one has for modern cloth diapers. Apart from these, one can purchase fleece liners, extra inserts, reusable cotton wipes, wet bags (A smell-leak proof to carry back used dipes during outings), training pants for potty training and similar accessories to make cloth diapering very much doable. Will share more on the accessories in another post as this post is already long. Below you can see pictures of fleece liners, hemp insert and wetbags.

My stash is a mix of various brands not just from india but US too. Infact some of the dipes i bought from US 7 years ago are still in perfect usable condition. I generally do not recommend any particular brand because i like the versatility a multiple brand stash offers me. Please get in touch incase you wish to know about any particular brand. Picture below shows some of the diapers. I used for my elder one which are 6.5 years old and still using for my younger one, in great condition.

For reusable wipes, we can repurpose old t-shirts into small squares which can be reused. Many vendors also stock small squares made from flannel/ velour material to be used for dipes. At each dipe change, it is advisable to use coconut oil on the baby's bottom and then put the cloth diaper on. Petroleum jelly is not recommended as it can affect the breathable feature of cloth diapers. 

Another important aspect of cloth diapering is washing it. I can assure you its not an overwhelming thing to accomplish. Once the diaper is off the baby's bum store it in an open area like balcony or rinse it with water and store in a bucket inside the bath. After poop sessions, it is good to rinse and store. During travel,  i prefer using reusable fleece liners which make life easier during rinsing. Also if you dread rinsing poopy diapers, accept that it is a natural process and hardly 2 minutes of such rinsing sessions is fine compared to pooped disposables rotting in a landfill. For me, sustainable living is a dream come true indeed and these are small steps towards that dream. 

Above is a picture of our flats and dipes drying during a vacation. Vacation time cloth diapering makes sense because you dont want to dump a disposable diaper in an exotic destination and end up polluting the place. More on vacation cloth diapering separately. 

Furthermore, all dipes used in a day can be washed together in the washing machine. If you want to wash it along with other family's clothes, it is good to soak the dipes in a bucket of warm water ( not very hot - because it can damage PUL lining) for 30 min, later add to the washing machine along with other clothes. You could also use the prewash feature if you have one in your washing machine. Use a non fragrant mild detergent. In case of hand wash you can do so, after soaking them. 

Sun drying dipes is always the best thing one can do. Sun is the best natural disinfectant and can remove stains from diapers. However, after 2-3 hours of direct sun it is advised to move the dipes to shade as full sun drying makes diapers very hard. If one lives like me in an apartment, you can very well line dry the dipes in your balcony. Most dipes dry in 12 hours timeframe even without sun in bangalore. 

Regardless of whether you live in a hot place or an extremely cold place, it is indeed possible to use cloth diapers for your baby. You need to make up your mind and stick to your ideology. Be the change you want to see in the world. May our kids have the blessings of clean environment, soil, air and water. It is possible only when we make sustainable choices and not opting for convenient alternatives which are harmful. 

Just for information, though number of cloth dipes needed for newborns can not be exactly predicted initially,  having 6 dipes + 3- prefolds+ 6- flats + 2 covers should be a good start, once your baby is more than 6 months old, you may need 10 diapers+ flats/prefolds in a day. Once they reach toddler stage, this reduces to 6-8 dipes a day. Very much doable indeed! Below is a picture of my new born stash just 5 days before my EDD for my second one.

Thanks for reading. Please share this with parents-to-be, new parents and grandparents who may benefit from these. 

The Unforseen Tornadoes

Its a very very long time since i penned down a blogpost. Probably i had even forgotten all about its existence until a friend recently asked if i have a blog after reading an email of mine! Sometimes you need others to tell you that you are good at something because life goes on monotonously until you realise you should stop and celebrate it!

The last year has been one of unforseen tornadoes in my life , ones that shook my roots and made me unconditionally grateful for the things i have. One that made me hope. One that reiterated my belief in faith and goodness. One that made me pray really hard. And one that i will never ever forget. 

My parents had major health setbacks with hospitalisation. Five surgeries between them,with two of them being emergency life saving surgeries. Innumerable hospital visits. Umpteen opinions sought from doctors in other hospitals. Fear of something going wrong. And last but not the least, fear that you might lose them. That last feeling shakes up your roots and leaves you devastated. Even when there is a possibility of things getting back to normalcy, human mind can't stop pondering over things not in your control especially when loves ones are affected. Lots of prayers, good wishes and faith have helped me see through it. Thankful that they are alright now. Though not like how they were, before all this ordeal but i am thankful that they are alright. Thankful that i can still have a meal with them at home.Thankful that they spend time with my little ones. Sometimes the simplest of things mean so much especially when you have faced a what if things had gone wrong phase. 

I should share a miracle that helped us see through this. We were blessed with a tiny human who has lit up our lives immensely. He is our rainbow baby and his news came as a surprise to us. I realised i was carrying this tiny human just before my mom's surgery and i was a mixed bag of emotions. I cannot even pen down those emotions in words as i went through happiness, sadness, fear, excitement, hope, faith all at once. The hope of a new life gave my parents a lot of faith that they will get better. Its been very tough for them to see themselves down and not being able to help me during this time. But i am grateful that we have been able to see through all that. Life is unpredictable indeed!!

Signing off with lot of gratitude, happiness and joy!

Vasu

Swachagraha - Take your pledge today!

SwachaGraha is a citizen driven campaign initiated by the Solid Waste Management Round Table Bangalore to address garbage woes in Namma Bengaluru turning our garden city into a garbage city.The campaign challenges you to make you look at the waste you generate as a resource just by starting three green spots.

What are the three green spots?
GreenSpot 1 - Your Composting Spot
Green Spot 2 - Your Garden where you use your compost
Green Spot 3 - Your kitchen, where you cook from vegetables and greens from your garden

How is my Green Spot 1 beneficial?

Swachagraha aims to educate you to understand that Composting is a smell free, non messy, easy peasy process which will reduce your carbon foot print.  60% of the waste every household throws can be managed by composting.  Just by starting this simple process of composting your own wet waste, you will be avoiding it from getting dumped in landfills which will pollute our land, water and air.

How is my Green Spot 2 beneficial?

When you grow your food in your second green spot, you will be blessed with fresh oxygen to breathe from your plants. The plants will grow from your compost and any remains will go back to your compost bin too. Understanding this circle of life with a hands on, in as less space as a small balcony is a soulful experience beyond words. Its therapeutic and will make you a much happier human being. Gardening along with other innumerable benefits teaches you such wonderful skills for life! Its a great family bonding activity too!

How is my Green Spot 3 beneficial?

Imagine harvesting a fresh bunch of palak for palak paneer or cucumbers for a salad, the joy is inexplicable. Technically, you will be saving so much of energy by growing safe food in the confines of your balcony. How? - here's how - 

• You will save fuel energy used to transport your vegetables from a farm 
• You will save energy wasted on herbicides, fungicides and insecticides; all used to grow vegetables in a non-organic set up just by adding your home made compost
• You will save energy used for packaging the vegetables by your supermarket
• You will save energy used by huge refrigeration equipment to keep your vegetables fresh even after days of harvesting it!

Here's a picture of Green spots in my community.

Why should you take the pledge?

Composting is going to save Namma Bengaluru and its one of the coolest things you can do these days. Why else will you see the government talking about it and leading dailies covering about it in Page 2/3 of their newspapers!!

I have taken the pledge because I wish I can leave behind a rich and beautiful legacy of clean air, water and resources for the future generations, because like an old African proverb goes -

"We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children"

So guys, if you think you want to see a cleaner city, take the pledge, start composting, reach out to many more.  Swachagraha is a one-of-a-kind green revolution where people come together to solve their civic problems. Every pledge counts! The target of this campaign is to get a million bangaloreans to start composting, that's why we want your count too!

What will happen after you take a pledge on the swachagraha website?

You will receive an email on the email address you registered with telling you about a simple technique of composting. This is just to show you how easy peasy composting really is. Further when you click on "HOME " button, you will be getting a list of individual and community composting solutions, all listed out with contact numbers for your greater benefit and faster reach.

Link to Individual composting solutions

You finally decide which method you want to follow and go ahead. You will be directed to vendor websites from once your click on the BUY button.

How can you decide among different systems listed?

If you are looking at individual composting solutions, decide between aerobic and anaerobic methods. Like i already mentioned, you will receive an email from the Swachagraha team with a video of a simple home composting solution. You can start doing that right away, or if you want to explore other options too, join our FB page - SwachaGraha and ask away all your doubts and questions. No question is silly and all of us are here to help you out to start composting.

I am convinced that i should start composting, but I am hesitant to start. How can you help?

We have a huge set of mentors and volunteers as a part of the Swachagraha campaign who will readily help you out and make you start. Discuss proactively and you will find that much needed inspiration to start off. Take the "ONE WEEK CHALLENGE".

This challenge calls for layering your veggie and fruit peels in a container with holes with innoculated cocopeat layer alternately. The container can be anything from your unused carton box with holes drilled for aeration to a plastic bucket with holes drilled or terracotta containers. These containers can also be bought. Do this for a week and keep your container aside. After 25 days you will end up in rich compost. This way you will gain confidence in the system, to start off with all your kitchen waste. Do it to believe it, really! 

We are a big community, How can i get more people to compost in this setup?

More the merrier,  Schools, colleges, organisations, apartment complexes fall into this category. Here we are challenging  people in these institutions to take up the "SWACHAGRAHA COMMUNITY PLEDGE". 

Declare the day beforehand and request the people in your organisation to get vegetable and fruit peels on a single day.You can use the invitation available on the swachagraha website to declare the event in your organisation.

Link for Posters

Get each one of them to drop off their peels in the composting drum and add inoculated coco peat to layer it. This is such a humbling activity and will put people from all strata to come together for a great cause.Keep them updated with information of how composting is going on and finally when compost is ready, get them to touch and smell it. This way we are targeting to change the mindsets of people who otherwise thought wet waste was of no use. Further, request each person who participated to take the pledge online and initiate composting at their home/community.

I want to help my friends to compost? How can i do that?

Talk as much as you like to your friend about composting, guide them and get him/her to start off with the one week challenge and post pictures of your activities on Swachagraha Facebook page or email. It will motivate many more friends for life out there to do that!!

Whichever method you start off with, be it community pledge or one week challenge, record your activities and share your pictures over email or on our Facebook page!! This is what is most important, because this being a citizen driven campaign, we need to inspire more people. Remember the Dandi March for our independence? Why is it so popular in history - because people, real people came together and voiced their opinion. These people were the ones who challenged the British that they could think differently and could inspire others. Today, we have a struggle of a different magnitude, a struggle for clean air, water and land. This struggle will affect all the generations that come after us. So lets buck up now and act upon. Lets challenge others to look at waste as a resource. Lets start the three green spots for a better Bengaluru and most importantly inspire each other. That's when we will truly leave a mark similar to the freedom struggle in Indian Independence. So start today and this will be your chance to change the world. 

Website : www.swachagraha.in

Email : swachagraha@gmail.com

Signing off with the tag line of Swachagraha - "BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD!!"

Anyone can Compost!!

Hi All,

Composting - A word which was not there in my dictionary 4 years back because of my ignorance, but now is my daily routine. A word that keeps me grounded, keeps me motivated and makes me look forward to every day with better hope and faith. And its not something new that i have invented, its what mother nature has blessed us with, but only some of us have realized its true meaning.

1. What is Compost and Composting?

As a young child, when my mom told me that i should bury my milk tooth in soil when they fall, i believed her thinking new teeth will grow. Today, I am old enough to understand that my mom handled my fear of losing my teeth very well, but at the same time, mature enough to believe that I am what this soil has made me. I come from it, i am a part of it, i survive on it and i will perish in it. This understanding has deepened my connection with nature and the people around me as well. And because i am nothing but a part of nature, i understand that what i use should also be a part of nature. This has further helped me understand that the things i use on a daily basis need to be nature given, the food i eat need to be nature given and anything that i cannot use anymore needs to go back to nature as well. I don't know which incident triggered such a drastic lifestyle change in my life, but i am glad something did. And i mostly attribute this to my little one, who made me think every second about the kind of things i am giving her or exposing her to!

Composting refers to the degradation of organic matter with presence of air and/or beneficial microbes to produce a nutrient rich, earth smelling product which in turn enriches the nutrient quality of the soil. This product is referred to as COMPOST. While this is something beautiful happening naturally in our environment, the onus is on us to provide suitable conditions for composting to happen. With the extensive use of plastic in our lives, we started using plastics even to dispose our kitchen waste and this is what has mostly led to the garbage volcanoes called landfills in several places in the outskirts of our city.

2. What happens to wet waste when it gets composted? How to compost? What container to use? What is green to brown ratio? 

Like i said earlier, if we can just provide the right conditions, nature will beautifully carry out composting and this can be achieved even in the limits of your own balcony. This post is just to share about one of the most simplest ways to compost kitchen waste. Composting as i have understood is all about balancing the green and brown matter, Green matter is the wet kitchen waste. Brown matter can be anything ranging from dry leaves, saw dust, coco-peat and old compost. Brown matter helps absorb the wetness of the wet waste and the microbes naturally found in the air breakdown the wet waste furthermore to blend with the brown matter. So air happens to be something essential for composting without which the good microbes cannot prevail. Hence, according to me, one of the best containers to choose for composting is a terracotta container because it is naturally porous and it comes from the earth.

Choose any terracotta container of your choice. This can even be your old flower pot. You can drill holes carefully on the sides using a drilling machine. But this is optional, because terracotta is naturally porous. Spread a 2 inch very thick layer of brown matter (anything from the list above) at the bottom of the container. On top of this add a handful of wet waste. Repeat covering the wet waste with another layer of brown matter. Continue to do this till all your wet waste is completely covered with brown matter. Keep the container covered with a terracotta plate or a cotton cloth which will let air pass through. The good microbes that help composting are the same ones that help you digest your food. One of the primary ones, is lactobacillus, which is found in buttermilk. So, sprinkle some buttermilk to the contents of your terracotta container from time to time(ideally 3-4 days once) to introduce the good microbes. I say sprinkle because, we don't want more wetness introduced because of the buttermilk. Use a rake to mix up the buttermilk so that it is evenly introduced in your container. Note that the thick layer at the bottom helps absorb excess water from the composting process and so it needs to be a thick one, or else one might have to deal with excess water coming out. As a safety measure you can even keep the container in a plate and clean the plate in case any water from compost collects.

As this container gets full, let it sit for a week to ten days or more depending on the external temperature while stirring occasionally with buttermilk. Meanwhile start with another container. Make sure you choose a shady spot for your terracotta containers and safeguard it from rain. After 10-15 days, the contents of your first container will have reduced in volume. This is because composting is an exothermic process where heat and water is released. This water needs to be absorbed by our brown matter and eventually the volume of wet waste reduces. In the subsequent days, turn as often as possible to end up in beautiful rich black gold! If you have big hard pieces like mango shells and corn cobs, they will take more cycles to completely compost, so handpick them and add them to your next cycle.You will know when your compost is fully done because it smells beautiful once done, like moist earth. This process takes anywhere between 6-8 weeks when done correctly. This is a very basic  terracotta container composting method that can be tried out to gain confidence in the process of composting.

3) I don't have access to dry leaves and sawdust. What else can be used for brown matter?

For people who do not have access to dry leaves or saw dust and such other brown matter, there are options available too. 

a) You can use a coco-peat brick, available in any gardening store or bought online. Expand it to a powder form if you bought coco-peat brick. Use this powdered coco-peat as your brown matter and continue to add buttermilk once in every 3-4 days. 

b) A microbe infused coco-peat brick is available in the market. You could use this too and this has the added advantage of having the microbes and so you wont have to add buttermilk and turn. Even turning will be avoided with this. Just keep adding wet waste and microbe infused coco-peat in alternate layers and let it sit for 25 days. 

c)Another option is to use dry soil itself as brown matter. This works beautifully too only turning will be more because soil tends to compact.

4) What kinds of kitchen waste can be composted?

You can add all types of wet waste in this process. However, if you are starting as a novice, try with veggie and fruit peels alone initially, then gradually move to add citrus and cooked food too. Avoid adding gravies, strain the water content and add the remains to your compost container. I have friends who compost their non veg waste too. Mango shells, corn cobs and such hard stuff take a long time to compost. But it will eventually get composted. Just handpick these if undone from your container and add it to the next batch. Also, it helps to chop up your veggie and fruit waste into small pieces to increase the surface area for composting. 

5) What are maggots and when do they come? Are they harmful? Can they cause infections? What can i do to control them?

One of the biggest fears of many people to start composting is dealing with maggots. Maggots are larvae of soldier flies that feed on the contents of your kitchen waste and help them turn into compost. They are really beneficial creatures and do not cause any infections. They are not harmful also. In fact maggots speed up the composting process. So, just in case you end up seeing maggots in your container, don't be alarmed, its alright to have them. 

Maggots occur when there is insufficient air circulation in your container or its contents are too wet. If you see maggots in your compost  pile, add more dry brown matter(dry leaves, coco-peat, saw dust etc.) to reduce wetness. Use a rake and turn the contents to introduce more air. Maggots crawl out only when there is insufficiency of oxygen inside and they are suffocating. Like i mentioned earlier, composting being an exothermic process generates heat and proper air circulation is very essential for the maggots to just stay inside and do their work. Also, maggots perish inside your compost, so you wont see any trace of them in your final compost.

6) What commercial composting options are available?

Many commercial vendors have come up with composting solutions. While each of these solutions differ in method, space used and cost, their end product is the same, rich earth smelling compost. Especially for a novice, who wants to try composting in small spaces without going wrong, such options are a boon. I am not commercially involved with any of the composting solutions available in the market. However, I would like to share that i started as a novice, being ignorant about the whole process. I started with one of the commercially available solutions and followed instructions to the "T" only so that i don't go wrong and my family disapproves of the whole thing. I have come to realize now, that the price we pay for each of the commercial solution is the price paid for the research they have carried out in the subject. Nowadays customer support and help forums are really good and can guide you well in the event of any crisis with your method. At present I have four different methods of composting going on working 24x7 in the confines of my balcony.

7) Still i am not convinced to compost, i don't see it returning anything!

Whats more, you can start growing your own food once you generate your compost. No more eating dried greens from the market, you can grow them right at your balcony with compost and coco-peat. This soil-less mix can make it easy for your back while your family is blessed with home grown safe greens to eat. If you have access to bigger space, you can even grow tomatoes, brinjals and cucumbers to name a few, sufficient to feed your family.

Its a great past time for kids, especially the sieving part and my little one is really happy to do it!I feel thankful that she enjoys these things in today's gadget world. And I am happy that i am doing my bit to make the world she is going to live in, a better place!

Whichever method you choose, the aim of this post is to convince you to try composting because it is a beautiful thing to do for yourself and your family. We just need to trust Mother Nature and let her do her job as we provide the right conditions. Imagine if each of us did this beautiful thing, we'd never have to deal with garbage woes and will automatically have cleaner and greener surroundings. The feeling of holding sweet smelling moist black gold in your hands is priceless, liberating and therapeutic.

Lets take this chance and be the change we want to see in this world. Lets minimize plastic in our lives. Lets reduce, reuse and recycle and above all lets give back to Mother Nature what she has gifted us with,  because ANYONE CAN COMPOST ! :)

The Elusive Nymphea

Hi All,

Back again on my blog with a set of beautiful things to share! A little self learnt knowledge on how to create a beautiful lily pond at the confines of your small balcony!!

Water Lilies are gorgeous! They are so beautiful and can transform any dull corner in your balcony into a beautiful ecosystem! I started off with absolutely zero knowledge on caring for water lilies. Initially like minded friends who had water ponds themselves shared their knowledge and shared some plants, a lily, farm bhrami that grows in water, water lettuce and some duckweed. This was the beginning. However, unfortunately because I did not know how to care for them the right way, I lost the lily. The duck weed and farm bhrami flourished. 

To overcome the grief of losing a precious lily, I requested my spouse to buy one more for me, this time I badly wanted to get it right. And voila, this lily bloomed. It was my first bloom ever and I was elated.

The First beauty!

However, after the bloom the plant did not throw up new leaves at all.. All the leaves perished. It was December by then and I was kind of sad about my failures. I decided not to buy any more lily plants and kill them. Because other water plants were growing in the same container, I decided to just let them be.

Then sometime in March, I saw one green leaf on the soil inside the pond. Initially I thought it was a duckweed that had sunk in! I didn't do anything about it though and just let it be. All this while, the guppies in my pond had multiplied and a beautiful ecosystem was established. Then one day, silly me, I tried to take out the leaves inside and that is when I saw a stem attached to it!!!!!! Voila, I was jumping with joy! A lily plant had come up inside! And I dint even know it! As the summer sunshine did good to my pond, I had many Lily babies coming up inside!! By this time, the farm bhrami had overtaken the pond. It's roots had spread everywhere and had grown like a jungle.

 But I was scared to disrupt anything for the fear of losing anything. I guess God must have heard me, for very soon, I came across a knowledgeable store for lilies. The owner of this store who has now become a friend, took the extra effort to educate me with the nuances when growing water lilies. She gave me the confidence to separate the babies in my pond and put them in multiple ponds so as to enable them to grow bigger. She shared knowledge on tropical and hardy varieties and their differences, which helped me understand lilies better. And so recently i separated all the baby lilies in my pond. I felt this is good knowledge to share and hence this blog post.

When i separated the baby lilies, I had both big and really tiny babies. Also, i got one tuber! Before separating, I moved all the water in the container to another container, so that the fishes wont have any discomfort. Below are some pictures of lily babies and the tuber i had. 

The Tuber sprouting!

Lily Babies

Lily Baby can be really small too! 

The next step is to root them in soil in a container. Take any container without holes and add red soil to it. You could add very little compost to it too along with the soil. 

Make a small dent with your finger and place the baby lily inside this. If you are rooting a tuber, keep it in soil such that the sprouted leaves face upwards. Top it with a layer of sand, so that the roots do not float when placed in water. Adding sand is very important, please do not miss this step.

Now its time to lower it in an existing water pond or if this is your first time, you could use a wide tub about 2 feet deep. Place this container inside the empty tub and add water around it, so that the lily leaves start floating. At this juncture, add fishes in the pond. Fishes are really important to keep the water clean and avoid stagnation of water and the resulting mosquito menace. Please do not skip adding fishes. Guppies/mollies do well for such water ponds. If the lily babies are really small, make sure water above the lily plant is just one inch high. 

After a few days, the baby lily will establish and grow new leaves, which will start getting bigger. 

If you feel that the container is too small, repeat the same process of adding soil and sand in another bigger container without holes and transfer the lily into it. However, now you can add more water around the plant because its established. Lilies are heavy feeders, meaning they need to be fertilized periodically. A good way to fertilize them is to add dry cow manure to the soil. However, you should take care to not add too much and also make sure nutrients are released slowly. For this, make a cone with a plastic cover, add little dry cow manure to it, seal the open end of the cone and tie a stone to the cone using a thread. Lower this cone into the soil that houses the lily periodically. It will give good results. Lilies need about a minimum of 4-5 hours of sun daily and will do very well in all balconies! That is really good news isn't it? :)

And slowly, one fine day, you will have lovely lily plant with big pads (leaves) and regular blooms. There are many varieties among lilies and I am still a novice when it comes to identifying them. For now, I have these in my balcony along with lots of baby lilies who are yet to be identified.

Tropical variety - White Capensis

Hardy variety - Colorado

And if you think this is too much of maintenance, its really not. The fishes keep the pond clean. Water evaporation occurs over a period of time and so add fresh water to the pond every few days. Also. you can upcycle any useful container to house a lily pond. Because lilies do not require much depth to grow, you can even consider shallow tubs or broken buckets. Neatly cover them up and use them. Here's an example of an upcycled water garden at my balcony. Brownie points for guessing what is used there :) 

So, if you have read this post, until this point, I am hoping you will get inspired to start a water garden in a small space that you can afford. Its beautiful to watch the fishes play around, the lilies blooming and its has a wonderful calming effect on our otherwise occupied minds!

Cheers,

Vasu