Did you know that wasting food is bad for the Earth? Growing food takes lots of resources like food and energy, and when we waste food, we waste the resources that went into growing the food. Plus, when the food breaks down in the landfill, it releases greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Sometimes food waste still happens, though! Even if you eat all the food you have, there are things like scraps and peels that you may not be able to use. Instead of just throwing out these pieces, you can turn them into a valuable resource—compost!
This Earth Day, learn how composting works with this fun experiment!
Materials:
Clear pop bottle
Food waste (fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, etc)
Leaves/grass
Shredded paper
Potting soil
Water
Tape
Scissors
Marker
Instructions:
1.With the help of an adult, cut off the top of the pop bottle.
2.Make a compost lasagne! Starting with a layer of soil, add layers of your various materials, adding a layer of soil between each. For example, you might layer soil, then leaves, then soil, then food waste, then soil, then paper, etc. Make sure you top it off with more soil!
3.Add one or two cups of water to the bottle. It should soak all the layers.
4.Place the top of the bottle back on, and tape it back on, making sure no air can get in. Leave the bottle in a sunny space. Leave the compost bottle sealed for three weeks.
5.After the three weeks are up, empty out the compost bottle. What broke down the best? Did anything break down completely? After you’re done examining the compost, you can mix it into garden soil to give your plants a tasty treat!
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