Section 2: Resources

Building a Decomposition Chamber

Materials

• Clear plastic 2 liter soda bottles with the top fourth cut off
• Piece of cheesecloth or pantyhose (1 large piece per bottle)
• Rubber bands (2 per bottle)
• Sand (1 cup per bottle)
• Garden soil (Do NOT use sterilized soil!) (2-3 cups per bottle)
• Water (1 cup per bottle)
• Organic materials in containers: leaves, grass clippings, pine needles, lettuce
• Other items made from organic materials: newspapers, sticks
• Inorganic materials: plastic wrappers, Styrofoam pieces (Do NOT use packing peanuts made from corn starch which may dissolve in water).

Procedure

Place a cup of sand at the bottom of the container. On top of the sand, place about two cups of garden soil, followed by one cup of organic or inorganic material. Add one cup of water. Finally, cover the top of the bottle with pantyhose or cheesecloth cut large enough to fully cover the opening and secure it with a rubber band.