Composting meat can be complicated. It all depends on how much time and space a person has and their experience with composter piles or disposal methods. Still, most people would agree that it’s safer not to risk harming themselves in turning organic food scraps into rich soil particles by adding bacteria-rich dirt. If you do not know how to compost meat waste, it may cause illness due to chemical reactions between different elements found within these foods.
When composting meat, the risks are too high for most people. If you have experience with creating and maintaining a healthy pile of organic waste in your backyard or back yard, then, by all means, go ahead in observing the safe ways how to compost meat waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA )recommends that all composting processes and piles need three essential elements in order for all processes to be successful. These are; moisture, organic material (such as food waste), and enough air circulation which will facilitate the processes to be complete.
What Is Composting?
Although composting meat might seem like a risky enterprise, green-living individuals have been experimenting with the process for years. Many people utilize this form of recycling in their homes due to its benefits and little risk involved when compared against other types, such as plastic or paper products, which often end up in landfills if not properly disposed off. It’s essential to observe the best ways that you can use how to compost meat waste.
You may be wondering why anyone would want to take such risks when we can buy new things instead. The answer lies within our own sustainability goal. We don’t always know what will happen tomorrow, so we shouldn’t limit ourselves by only focusing on them.
The EPA on how to compost meat waste, is strongly against composting it, whether you do it in a pile or bin, because it can create rodent infestations and also attract pests infestation. Raw meats also pose risks to humans with diseases like E coli. If not processed properly, putting bacteria-filled waste on one’s garden may allow those germs to spread even more rapidly than before, meaninglessly ruining produce for years afterward.
In case you wondering on the safest way that you can follow on how to compost meat waste, then you are in the right place, keep on reading this article.
Steps For Composting Waste
If you are looking for ways how to compost meat waste, follow the following steps to achieve the best results:
To create the perfect balance of organic matter in your compost bin, you will need both carbon and nitrogen sources. We can provide these essentials for microbes by chopping meat scraps into small pieces so they don’t cause discomfort when stepping on them or handling their smell.
Place meat waste in a bin with bedding and avoid reopening the pocket for as long as possible. Monitor your compost pile. If it becomes too hot, you will know that the meat waste has added too much nitrogen, which could harm worms; remove them immediately after several months have passed since adding them, so they don’t overheat. If all goes well, vermicompost should begin turning into crumbly material mostly of leaves, while bones are picked clean by those pesky little burrowing creatures known as “worms.”
To keep vermin from ruining your compost, thoroughly cover the meat with sawdust mixed with a good spritz. It will prevent smells that can attract pests while also sealing in moisture to enhance aerobic conditions necessary for rapid bacterial decomposition. Add some lime on top if you’re going outdoors; allow it before placing any fencing around as this helps cut down on the view.
In order to speed up the process of warming your pile, it’s best to have an external temperature between 130° and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If this isn’t possible, then make sure there are no shady spots around or near where you will be storing them so they can get warm enough without being in direct sunlight all day long.
The compost pile needs to stay within the 130°-160 degree range for five days, at which point you can stir or turn it with a pitchfork. It will add oxygen and help facilitate the hot composting process three times over 24 hours before finishing up.
When you put meat scraps in the compost, place them near or at its center (buried underneath other layers) because this will help promote hot composting. The more material surrounding your food scraps for a given volume of air temperature means that they’re less susceptible than if there was just open space all around and since we want these things off the ground.
If you have a home compost system, then worry not about how to compost meat waste, put the meat scraps in it. It will help to keep odors from spreading around your house. To ensure no pesky rodents get at them, place pavers or large stones around their bases, making them hard for unwanted guests. Try getting into this basket by adding layers such as sawdust, wood shavings, dried grass on top of what’s already there, which also helps promote healthy microbes activity during the digestion process.
Can I Compose Meat Waste?
You may think that decomposing meat is safe for your garden, but you would be wrong. High temperatures are needed to kill these harmful pathogens, and it can take quite a while before they’re all destroyed at room temperature! Suppose we want our plants’ immune systems protected against infection from potentially dangerous creatures in the soil, such as larvae or worms. In that case, adding some composted animal manure will act as a means of composting waste, which will help out tremendously (and keep those pesky flies away).
Otherwise, if you must decide how to compost meat waste, then the safest way for it would be in a garbage can or dumpster. Ensure that when throwing away raw pieces of beef such as bones and organs (but not intestines), they are left packaged with their packaging material intact, so no one handles them directly. Alternatively, put all these types into sealed bags before dropping them off at collection points. It will help reduce the risk of exposure to anyone handling said recyclables by minimizing potential cross-contamination through touch.
Conclusion
Composting meat might seem complicated at first, but it’s not as bad or difficult to deal with once you get things in order. This process works well and effectively when creating nutrient-rich soil to help your plants grow healthier roots, reducing waste going into landfills. It takes some time commitment on behalf of our families’ future generations. If either one doesn’t have enough patience/dedication to learn how to compost meat waste, they should avoid making such decisions altogether by disposing of any scraps appropriately, so no more problems are experienced.
