Recycling organic matter requires energy, but the human energy required is practically zero. In fact, we expand more energy taking kitchen waste from our house to the dumpsite. Now consider how valuable that organic material is. It took a lot of energy to create those banana peels and egg shells. When dumped at the landfill, all that energy potential is lost. Worms, beetles, and centipedes are the workhorses that make compost happen, but you don't have to be intimate with them to compost. Below is a simple method to turn garbage into organic fertilizer that is clean and odorless, and avoids the bugs.

This method has two stages: an indoor and outdoor stage. For indoors, you need two five-gallon buckets with lids. One bucket is for holding untreated sawdust, obtainable for free at lumber stores. The second bucket is for layering kitchen waste. To get started, put two tablespoons of charcoal or a layer of grass clippings on the bottom of the second bucket to combat odors. Next, add a thin layer of sawdust, then your kitchen waste (no meat!), followed by another layer of sawdust. Keep layering sawdust and vegetable matter. When it's full, take it outside.

The outside stage can vary. You can dig holes to bury your compost, but this method slows the composting process. Faster composting requires heat, so build a compost pen of untreated wood or chicken wire in the sun. The compost is ready for use when it breaks down into dark matter.