Composting's Newest Aid Comes From A Familiar Can, Coca-Cola

Imagine you spent an afternoon outside, maybe doing yard work or tidying up a garden space. You head indoors looking for the last Coca-Cola that is in the kitchen, however, there is a problem. You find out that the last can is flat and no longer drinkable, to your standards. Time to pour it down the drain, right? Not so fast if have a compost area. You may have guessed it, that last flat Coca-Cola could be the jump start to improve composting.

Composting is the process of organic material being added to soil to help plants grow. Some items, seen every day, can be used as compost including fruit scraps, eggshells, tea bags, and paper, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. During the process of composting, microorganisms begin breaking down organic material that is then used to boost future plant growth when mixed with fresh soil.

Coca-Cola’s role in composting comes before the compost material is ready to be used in a garden again. It does its magic during the process of breaking down the organic materials that create a healthy compost pile. When poured over a compost pile, Coca-Cola takes on two tasks. The first task is aiding with breaking down organic materials due to the acids within the drink. While the second task is using its sweetness to attract bugs and other microorganisms that break the organic material down.

The benefits of using Coca-Cola for composting are left up for debate as some life hack articles approve of it, while others are strongly against it. The next time you purchase a pack of Coca-Cola, think about saving one for a personal garden and compost experiment.