On-The-Go: Composting for Trailblazers

When you’re on the road, it’s easy to take advantage of the conveniences of our modern world. But with springtime putting everyone in the mood to take care of our environment, you may want to amp up your own Earthy friendly habits. Composting is a great way to contribute organic, natural materials back into the ground for fertilization because it contains nutrients and retains moisture in the soil to help make plants grow without chemicals that could damage the round or the natural water supply near you.

Interested in composting while enjoying an extended stay at a particular campground? First make sure that you are allowed to compost at your campground. Once you’re in the clear, setting up a small composting area right outside your RV is easy…

You’ll need three main ingredients: Browns (dead leaves, branches, twigs), Greens (food waste – including coffee grounds,plant-based table scraps) and Water (to provide moisture and help break it all down).  To avoid odor, make sure there is enough Brown material to balance out the Green material – food waste can stink if not balanced with dry leaves and twigs. Don’t use meat, dairy, or egg based table scraps when composting because this will attract skunks, rats, and other vermin.

Once you’ve picked out a 3 by 3 by 3 foot area, you’re ready to set up your pile…

1. Start by spreading a layer several inches thick, of Browns.
2. Top the Browns with a few inches of your Greens ingredients.
3. Add a thin layer of soil on top and another layer of Browns on top of that.
4. Moisten the layers with water – it should be the consistency of a damp sponge.
5. Keep adding layers like this until it reaches 3 ft high.
6. Every two weeks, turn the pile with a garden fork or shovel by moving the stuff in the center of the pile to the outside, and the stuff on the outside into the center.

When you first turn the pile, you may seem steam rising. This just means that the stuff inside is decomposing. Earthworms should start to invade the center of your compost pile and this is a good sign! A compost is finished when it is a dark, rich brown color, crumbles easily, and any original ingredients are no longer recognizable.

Another way to compost on the road is by installing a dry composting toilets require no water, no chemicals, and no flushing and by “dumping” your waste back into the ground you literally make it your business to provide a natural fertilizer for the ground. The Wynns have some great advice about dry composting toilets which you can read here.

Do you have your own composting system? Do you have a composting toilet in your RV? How has it been working for you? Let us know about all of this in the comments!