Composting for a greener tomorrow

When Natalia Akst peels vegetables in her Daniel Island kitchen, she doesn’t think about the waste; she thinks about tomorrow’s garden. 

The potato skins, eggshells, and coffee grounds she collects each day go into a small ceramic bin that “looks very cute on the countertop,” she laughed. When it’s full, she takes it outside to a special patch of soil, where her food waste turns into nourishment for her plants. 

“I’ve done it since I was little. My mother always did this,” Akst said. “Since I cook from scratch, I end up with a lot of peels and shells, and because it’s all organic, I realized it’s perfect to use in the garden. I prefer to sort the garbage; having food waste with other stuff honestly grosses me out. We have less waste in general now – no smell, fewer trash bags, and the garden loves it.” 

Akst is one of many Daniel Island residents who have quietly embraced composting – the natural process of recycling organic material into nutrient-rich soil. From backyard bins to city drop-offs, residents are transforming what would otherwise be landfill waste into something that sustains life. 

NATURE'S WAY OF RECYCLING 

Composting is essentially nature’s way of returning what we consume. Food scraps, leaves, and yard waste break down through controlled decomposition into a dark, crumbly material rich in nutrients – the same process that happens on a forest floor every day, just sped up a bit by human hands. 

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generated 66.2 million tons of wasted food in 2019, yet only 5% was composted. The rest largely ended up in landfills, where food waste makes up 24% of all municipal solid waste and releases methane, a greenhouse gas more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. 

By composting, households can cut methane emissions, enrich soil, conserve water, and “close the loop,” turning yesterday’s dinner scraps into tomorrow’s blooms. 

FROM KITCHEN TO COMPOST 

For Tatiana Nevarko, composting began the year she bought her house a decade ago. 

“I also started a garden that same year, and we thought it would be nice to have our own compost to use in the garden beds,” she said. “We were looking to reduce our waste output. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and it definitely saves us trash can space not to have the peels and odds and ends in there.” 

Nevarko and her husband built a three-bin system out of scrap wood, which they turn periodically. Recently, she added two vermicomposting bins filled with worms that help digest scraps and spread compost through the soil. 

“That’s in theory,” she said. “I’m still learning about it, reading and watching YouTube videos for tips and tricks.” 

Her advice to newcomers: “Don’t overthink it. Buy or build a compost box, and throw your fruit and veggie scraps onto it! Stay away from meat, dairy, and grains to avoid attracting critters. Learn as you go and let nature take its course.” 

EVERYDAY SUSTAINABILITY 

Claire Monahan believes composting isn’t about having the perfect setup; it’s about simple, consistent habits. 

“I started composting when we first moved to Daniel Island. I was so excited to finally have a yard where I could house a garden tumbler,” she said. 

These days, Monahan uses the City of Charleston’s compost bins by Governor’s Park and sometimes a local pickup service. 

“I love knowing that our composting efforts literally reduce the amount of waste in our landfills. It's also now become a natural part of our family routine," she said. 

“For me, composting is simple but meaningful. It not only reduces what we send to the landfill, but it shows my kids that everyday choices matter. It’s a small act of care for the earth they will inherit.” 

MIXING SCIENCE WITH SOIL 

In another Daniel Island kitchen, Jennifer Weller Moses and her husband have turned composting into a family science project. 

“We cook a lot, so we generate a lot that can be composted – all produce, coffee grounds, and eggshells,” she said. “No meat or dairy.” 

Their Costco composter sits in the backyard, where her husband “mixes in cardboard, Publix brown bags, The Daniel Island News, and other paper products to control the liquid ratio.” 

The result? A nutrient-rich liquid that drains from the bottom, affectionately called "liquid gold." 

“We collect it in old milk containers,” Moses explained. “It’s great to put back in the garden or our potted flowers, herbs, berry bushes, citrus – it’s like Miracle-Gro on steroids. There’s definitely a science to it but anyone can try.” 

FROM FARM ROOTS TO ISLAND LIFE 

Cara Jenkins traces her composting habits back to childhood. “I grew up in a household of composting, gardening, and farming,” she said. “Just as I was raised, I use my compost to supplement my soil for my raised garden bed.” 

She started small, “with five-gallon buckets,” she recalled, inspired by a Pinterest tutorial. “It all started from a worm bin I remembered from a fifth-grade science project. It’s as simple as a couple of buckets from Lowe’s or Target, or you can buy a compost spinner from Amazon. Just be prepared for nature. It gets stinky and slimy at times.” 

For Jenkins, composting is “a part of the circle of life. What you put out is what you get back," she said. 

"Being a part of sustainability is such a necessary part of the balance. Gardening has always been about community and love where I grew up, and I try to maintain that.” 

A GREENER TOMORROW? 

Composting may seem like a small household habit, but collectively, it’s a powerful climate action. The EPA estimates that if every U.S. household composted food scraps, the nation could cut billions of pounds of waste from landfills each year and drastically reduce methane emissions. 

For some Daniel Island residents who take pride in both sustainability and beauty, composting is proving that even the smallest choices can feed something larger.