What is hot composting?
Hot composting is a much faster method of getting rid of organic waste compared to regular (cold bin) composting. Hot compost bins operate around temperatures between 40-65° Celsius.
Normal compost is usually noticeably warm as the process of microbes working to break things down releases thermal energy. Hot compost uses this to aid the process – it relies on an optimal microbial activity to help decompose organic matter at the right temperature. The result is you can end up with usable compost in around four weeks!
What are the benefits of hot composting?
A great benefit of hot composting is that it can take a much wider variety of food waste and compostable materials. If one of your goals is to reduce the level of waste your household produces this is a great option for increasing your sustainability footprint. Other benefits of hot-style composting include:
You can compost all year round – the seasons won’t hold you back
It creates compost quickly compared to other methods
A larger variety of food waste and organic material can be composted
The heat can kill off seeds from weeds, pathogens, and unwelcome bacteria
Hot composting isn’t as smelly as some other types of composting
Natracare has kindly provided us with both a hot bin and organic, biodegradable pads and tampons for our staff and volunteers to use and bring in to decompose on the hot compost. We have now been using our Natracare hot bin for approx. 3 months and the compost is looking vey good indeed! We have been checking the temperature regularly and ensuring it has a good balance of both green and brown materials, as well as the compostable Natracare products.Â
It won't be long before we are able to use this compost, we feel we need to leave it a little longer for the Natracare products to finish decomposing as we can see that they haven't completely composted down yet. We are very happy with the speed and quality of the compost produced so far. A huge thank you to Natracare for providing us these life-changing materials!
Product user comment:
"I found the pad more absorbent and dryer than my usual brand. I had tried various other eco sanitary products like washable pads and pants, but they were not as comfortable or functional as Natracare. I am really pleased with the products, thank you!"
You can read more about Natracare's work and how to get started with hot composting here.