Composting in the Home
By: Elisa Neibling
Description and Rationale
When you look at the Philippines you see a beautiful land with beautiful people and a stunning countryside, but you also see a lot of garbage. The country is filled with trash, and everywhere you look, it can be seen. There are piles of garbage, and these piles end up in giant landfills. This beautiful country has trash piling up everywhere; it is in the cities, the ocean and the countryside. It is a huge environmental factor and it is endangering the people and the environment.
What is the impact of trash on the Philippine people? What is it doing to the Philippine environment? How is it affecting the people and animals? What can be done to help get rid of the trash and rats that thrive in the landfills? What can be done in the home to help reduce the trash output? Are there easy and cheap ways to recycle kitchen scraps in the home? Do the people realize what the trash is doing to the country and economy?
Are there different ways to help the people realize what is happening with all the trash? Food scraps are a huge part of the waste in homes. They can make up to 35% of the trash output in homes. Finding a way to get rid of kitchen scraps would help reduce the amount of trash in the landfills. Is there a way to raise awareness of learning how to compost in the home? What kinds of things can be done with compost? Are there ways to make money from recycling trash, which could help improve many people’s lives, because it would get rid of trash while earning money? If there could be ways found to get rid of the trash, and help the environment, would the people begin to realize what they are doing?
The initial purpose of this project will be to research and try to help discover ways to recycle kitchen scraps. What can composting the kitchen scraps do for the gardens and the environment? By recycling biodegradable items, can you reduce the amount of rats? By teaching people in the homes, it will help all levels of people understand what to do with the excess amounts of trash. It will help raise awareness of what trash is doing to the environment, and it will help show how much people can do by simply recycling kitchen scraps in their homes.
It is hoped that beginning to recycle in homes will help reduce the trash in the landfills, and help keep the country cleaner. If we teach the people how to recycle and get rid of the trash, we can help them in more areas than one. Rats are a big problem here in the Philippines, so with less food going into the landfills, will we reduce the number of rats? With a more informed community, the trash output can be reduced and will result in a fresher, cleaner country. Tourism can increase with cleaner beaches and the marine life will be healthier, which leads to more tourist spots and a better economy.
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Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
The Brown rat is best known as Rattus norvegicus in the scientific community. For the Western world, it is known as the Brown rat, since it is covered with coarse brown hair, even though it sometimes has black or white spots. Some synonyms also include: the Norway rat, wharf rat, common rat, Hanover rat and Daga (Philippines).
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Rodentia (gnawing mammals)
Family: Muridae (rats and mice)
Genus: Rattus (Old world rats)
Species: R. norvegicus (Norway rat)
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Morphology and Physical Description
External Anatomy
The average size of a brown rat is 400 mm, from the tip of their nose to their tail. Male rats are usually larger than females, so their weights range from 140 g to 500g. They get their name from the rough brown hair that covers most of their bodies, although there are also some dark gray rats. However, the color usually changes to tan or gray on the belly. The tail and the ears of the brown rat are without fur, or bald. The Brown rat’s tail is usually a little shorter than the actual length of its body and their ears are also shorter than some of the species related to them.
They have bilateral symmetry, which means they can be divided into two mirror pieces with a dorsal and ventral side and anterior and posterior sides.
Internal Anatomy
The internal anatomy is like all mammals. They have all the basic components of a mammal. Brown rats have a good sense of hearing, and they feel their way around with their paws and whiskers, but the most impressive part of a norvegicus is their sense of smell. It is their best sense, and they use it for finding foods and distinguishing individuals from different groups.
Some interesting parts of the anatomy of the Rattus norvegicus is their powerful jaws and teeth. The jaw of one of these creatures can exert 24,000 pounds of pressure, which explains how they can gnaw through garbage cans, irrigation systems and even cinder blocks. The rat’s teeth grow five inches every year, and it was believed that gnawing kept the teeth from growing to long, but that theory was disproved several years ago. The teeth wear on each other, so gnawing is not needed.
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Getting Food
Norway rats are omnivores, and they will eat almost anything that comes their way. They eat a third of their weight every day. They are exceptional scavengers, and by using their senses of hearing, touch and smell, they will find food. Rattus norvegicus are mainly nocturnal animals, doing most of their foraging at dusk. The reason they flourish in urban areas is the steady supply of food. They will use known routes to get to sources that are known to be rich with food. It has been proven than the urban rats are much larger than their relatives who live in rural areas. Their territories can also extend up to 50 meters in diameter.
They eat everything that will not harm them, from plants to animals, to trash and wasted human food. The Rattus norvegicus’ sense of taste is so strong that they can detect the tiny number of two parts of poison per million. Studies have proven that most Norway rats prefer meat to plants, although they will eat all kinds of plants. There have even been reports of the rats catching fish.
“Some Norway rats living near the sea have been observed catching fish with their paws. Also preyed upon by Norway rats are chicks, mice, birds, and small lizards. They have even been known to attack infant human beings.” (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rattus_norvegicus.html)
The Norway rats’ amazing jaw and teeth also make it easier for the rats to get to food. They can gnaw through garbage cans, dry walls, and even thin sheets of metal.
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Reproduction
The way the norvegicus mates is polygynandrous, which means that they breed in groups. Norway rats usually mate when the temperature is warmer; in the colder months the breeding is reduced. When a female rat enters her six-hour estrus period, she can mate many times with different competing males. After they give birth, they can mate again within 18 hours. When pregnant, they have a short gestation period, which ranges from 22 –24 days, and then about 8 baby rats, or pups, are born. The young are very small and underdeveloped. They don’t open their eyes until 14 to 17 days after birth. They are milk-fed for 3 to 4 weeks until weaning takes place, and then the newborns leave the nest. The average female can give birth about seven times per year.
Brown rats are cooperative breeders, which means they rely on others to help care for the young. There may be quite a few mothers in a nest, and they will take care of the young, even if the pups aren’t their own. The norvegicus rats reach sexual maturity at a young age--three months for males and four months for females. They are able to breed and mate for about two years.
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Environmental Factors
The norvegicus lives where people are. Almost every city has a large amount of these mammals. The ratio of humans and these rats is one to one. They thrive wherever there is food: in garbage dumps, sewers, basements, woodlands, and open fields. In Asia, they first lived in woody areas and forests, but they have now adapted to populated places. Rattus norvegicus are predators and prey. Many birds, mammals, and reptiles prey upon them.
Norway rats can pass on as many as 35 diseases from leptospirosis and the plague. They are also extremely hard to get rid of. The rat poison, Warfarin, was developed and used as a rat poison for about a year, and then the Rattus norvegicus began eating it as food. They also can survive without food for about 14 days, but will rather starve than migrate to a new home with food. If there is absolutely no food, they will eat each other.
Rattus norvegicus are very competitive and drive out different rat species, like the Rattus rattus, also known as the black rat. Rattus norvegicus also help the ecosystem by dispersing seeds, and by burrowing, they help with soil aeration.
Brown rats are swimmers, and they often live near water. They can swim almost half a mile in the open sea, hold their breath for 15 minutes, and tread water for three days. They have also been known to dive down to depths of 100 feet. They are by water so much, in some places, they are also known as “water rats.”
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Origin and Distribution
Brown rats are originally native to northern China, but they soon found the pathway to Europe by ships and land. By the 1800’s they were reported to be in every major city in Eastern Europe. They were brought over to the New World by ships in the late 1700’s. Brown rats are now on every continent except Antarctica. They follow the population growth of humans and where there are large cities, they thrive.
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Importance to People
Rattus norvegicus are pests to humans, and humans often try to get rid of these pests with poisoned food, traps and destroying their food sources. Brown rats carry many types of diseases, such as Typhus, Trichia, and in their saliva, they carry the disease Rat Bite Fever. They have also been known to attack humans, mainly babies in cribs. If humans are bit, they can get Rat Bite Fever. Brown rats also cause billions of dollars of damage to crops and food stores. They can cause building fires by chewing through electrical wires and causing electrical fires from shorts and sparks.
In the Philippines, damages reported usually come from the fields, and how rats are destroying rice, coconuts and other staples. However, most of the damage reported is done by the Rattus argentiventer, a relative of the Rattus norvegicus.
These rats are pests, but they have also helped in the fields of science and medical science. They have provided information on how to cure diseases, how the brain works and how different substances affect a mammal. In rural areas in the Philippines, they are eaten for food. These rats are now also being sold as pets, which help Filipinos make money.
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Survivability and Endangered Status
Brown rats are not at all endangered. Humans are actually trying to get rid of them. They are considered an invasive alien species in the Philippines. They populate many places, especially urban areas. The norvegicus has predators, but not enough to put it on the endangered species list. They are some of the most common rodents in the Philippines.
There are no rat conservation agencies, but rather, there are rat control agencies in Manila, but many of these are privately owned, and must be hired. This is a luxury not many people can afford. So the managing of the Brown rat population is not very high. These rats are thriving in the poorer areas and especially in the dumps all over Manila.
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Potential Solutions
Will recycling kitchen scraps really help reduce the trash output? It has not been experimented on at this point that recycling kitchen scraps really changes the trash output in the homes or helps the environment of the Philippines. But it has been shown that in the landfills, the kitchen scraps don’t biodegrade because of all the plastic and other trash surrounding them. They just add to the trash, provide food for rats, and are not being used to improve the soil. We also know that taking food sources away from rats can help manage the rat population. More research is also needed to see if there are any livelihood projects that could be established from recycling kitchen scraps. Below are three possibilities for the use of kitchen scraps, with an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages for each. Along with each possibility is a current report of progress made on each of the possibilities.
Possibility 1 - PIGS
A few years ago, a family of poor pig farmers came to our door, asking for our kitchen scraps, and we gave them what we had. We now separate our trash from the kitchen scraps and freeze the scraps till the pig farmers come. This includes all of the peelings from our fruits, leftover food, and spoiled foods. These farmers come around every week asking for the leftover kitchen scraps, which we gladly give them. There are many families in our subdivision who do the same. This is one way to get rid of scraps. Why not give the scraps to pig farmers?
Advantages:
- It is an easy way to get rid of kitchen scraps and will help reduce the waste going out of homes into the landfills.
- It reduces the odor of rotting food in the trashcans and the reduction in food waste will help control the rats in the home. People won’t have to worry about rats getting in and eating the leftover food.
- It is free, which not only helps get rid of unwanted leftover kitchen scraps, but the pig farmers also benefit. Giving scraps can also save money for both people involved. The pig farmers don’t have to spend money on food for their pigs, and people giving the food don’t have to spend money on recycling or driving to composting sites.
Disadvantages:
- Most people don’t live near pig farmers. It would be hard to get the waste to pig farms, when it is much easier to throw the scraps in the garbage can. Most people don’t think about giving the kitchen scraps to the pig farmers, and it takes time that people don’t have.
- Many people don’t know if they have rats, so there is no motivation to get rid of the scraps. They also don’t understand what a few kitchen scraps can do to the environment and how they are helping fill the landfills.
- Whenever we try to talk to the pig farmers, they don’t look at us. They believe that they are of a lower class, and shouldn’t make eye contact or speak with us. Therefore it is hard to know what they do with the scraps and if there is anything else involved in the process. We can’t learn from them easily, and we can’t do much for them besides giving the scraps.
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Possibility 2 - STORE-BOUGHT COMPOST BINS
While researching for good composting methods, I came across several sites that were selling and talking about compost bins. It was interesting to read about how they work and what they can do. Composting bins are a great way to get rid of kitchen scraps. There is hardly any work involved with these new bins. All that is needed is throwing the scraps in the bin. Why not use them here in the Philippines?
Advantages:
- It is a quick and efficient way to compost. There is no need to wait many months for the compost to finally be ready. With the bins, the compost can be ready much sooner than natural composting. With a store-bought bin, you don’t have to take the time to make your own bin.
- The bins are all specially designed to keep animals and rain away. There are closed bins, with special lids and shapes. Some are also designed to be easy to rotate, which helps with the composting process. They keep the rain out, and let the air in, which keeps the air fresh around them.
Disadvantages:
1. The price. Most bins cost over $100 U.S. dollars, which is approximately P4, 700 pesos. Other prices of bins can range from $100 to $500 U.S. dollars. That is P4, 700 pesos to P23, 500 pesos. These are steep prices, and most people don’t have this kind of money to put towards a compost bin.
2. The lack of space. Many families living in Manila don’t have yards or gardens where they could put these large bins. These bins will usually only fit in much larger gardens, where they can be moved around.
3. Compost Bins are not easy to find here in the Philippines. I looked in ACE Hardware, but could not see or find any compost bins being sold.
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Possibility 3 - HOME COMPOSTING (My Action Step)
Mrs. Tessie Parale, a financial adviser and an avid composter, who explained the process to me, showed me what she does, and introduced me to this idea. The idea is that when you separate waste in the home, you can put it in a plain plastic bucket with a hole in the bottom, cover it with soil and it will begin to compost. The home composting method is quite simple, and cheap. First, one needs a plastic bucket, which costs about P50 ($1.00). Make a hole in the bottom, then put rocks, or parts of broken clay pots into the bottom, so the water can drain out. Then simply put the kitchen scraps in the bottom and cover it with a layer of soil. Water it every day, and each day, add new kitchen scraps with a soil layer on top, which keeps away the odor and the animals. Keep adding the layers until the bucket is full. When it is full, put a bigger layer of soil on the top. The full composting process takes about 60-90 days.
Mrs. Tessie Parale showing me her healthy plants. A healthy plant growing out of her compost pot
As we were talking, Mrs. Parale said that one of the main problems is that people are not taught, or told about composting, so the trash piles up around the city and in the landfills. With this in mind, I created a brochure and talked to different helpers in the Filinvest 2 subdivision. I talked to our family’s helper, Mrs. Baby Duque, to see if she could have some of her friends come over to learn about an easy, simple composting method. A group came and I was able to talk to them, and learn about different things they did in the provinces, but were not able to do here in the city. I learned what they had done in the past in a survey I gave them.
I wanted to find out if any of them were composting here, and then I taught them about the home composting method, teaching nine easy steps. I also told them the benefits of the compost, which include free fertilizer, more produce, and healthier, stronger plants.
Showing them part of the compost method Adding soil to my example compost pot
Taking the survey With my group! (Missing two people that left early)
Advantages:
- With the home composting method, it will reduce the kitchen scraps, odor, and hopefully, the rats.
- It is a free way to get fertilizer. There is no need to buy expensive fertilizer, when it is easy to make it with the resources inside the home.
- The procedure is simple, easy to follow, and there are only a few steps that need to be remembered.
- This is a very affordable procedure and a bucket is the only thing you will spend your money on.
Disadvantages:
- Home composting takes time. It takes 60 to 90 days for the kitchen scraps to become good fertilizer. There is also the time it takes to put the scraps and soil into the pot. It also needs to be watered each day.
- If the composting is not properly done, the odors could increase, and bugs, rats, and other animals might find it.
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Bibliography
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