Caring for Compost

Abstract

In compost, the relationship between humans, more-than-humans and the environment is diffuse because it involves the active participation of an entire food web. The entanglements embedded in the composting process(es) can be studied by attempting to understand the care needed to keep a compost active and how this relates to more-than-humans. We conducted interviews with two composting advocates in Berlin and visited the Peace of Land’s composting facility. In our work, we discuss the different perspectives of the two to shed light on their motivations for the care work they provide. In doing so, we combine their responses based on practical experience with theoretical reflections. Both interviewees expressed a similar view about the reciprocal relationship between humans and more-than-humans, suggesting that composting is a simple practice that allows us to “give back” to the earth rather than just take from it. Further, the interviewees described composting as a continuous learning process that requires constant work, learning, and maintenance. Finally, the act of composting involves an ongoing interconnectedness between humans and more-than-humans. This entanglement leads us to the need to redefine anthropocentric concepts such as the concept of ecosystem services, where the role of more-than-humans has been less discussed.