I recently started composting at home and was delighted to find that the composter’s best friends (worms) discovered my pile in just a few days. And I didn’t have to do anything special to attract them.

Did you know that up to two-thirds of household trash can be composted? My compost pile is pretty basic. I skipped the big plastic bin (too expensive), found a sunny spot at the back of my yard, and used metal fence posts and chicken wire (less than $20 for everything!) to fashion a horseshoe-shaped enclosure. I jump-started the project with one bag of organic compost and added kitchen scraps (both raw and cooked—but no meat), coffee grounds and eggshells. I kept it moist, and turned it every time I added something. Admittedly, I went overboard turning it initially, but it was exciting to know that I was helping to fight global warming by not putting food in the garbage and sending it to a landfill where it would produce methane gas.

My husband is in on it, too. He dumps the lawn clippings on the pile after he mows, and gives it a good stir. My 11-year-old loves using our paper shredder to annihilate junk mail (just remove the plastic panes from the window envelopes first) and paid bills, and throwing those on the pile.

I’m not a gardener and don’t really have a plan for the rich humus my compost pile will yield, but for me that isn’t the point. I’m having fun (composting is easy!), saving money (the less I throw away, the fewer garbage bags I have to buy) and helping the planet.

While I’m thinking small, author and columnist Thomas L. Friedman is thinking BIG as he writes about the environment. Check out the excerpt from his new book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, in the current issue of Delta Sky. Click here to read the full transcript of our exclusive interview with him.

What other small ways do you help the planet?

The Green Advocate
Delta Sky

Note: Delta Sky magazine will contribute to Under the Wing each Wednesday. Tell us what you think!