Why Should I Compost?
Composting is nature's way of recycling, and it happens to all organic matter with no human effort involved. Breakdown of organic matter depends on temperature, oxygenation, and water/humidity. Carbon and nitrogen levels are also detrimental to composting. Nitrogen-enriched fresh vegetable scraps and fresh grass clippings, known as greens, and carbon-enriched dried leaves, bark, twigs, and hay, known as browns, are layered, with one part greens and three parts browns. Compost can be ready to use in as little as 2 months.
Overall, the amount of municipal solid waste (trash) created by Americans rose 60 percent in the 25 years between 1980 and 2005, climbing to 246 million tons of trash. That figure (computed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) refers to waste before recycling is taken into consideration; recycling and composting recovered 79 million tons of trash. Approximately 62 percent of yard waste is composted. In the 15 years between 1990 and 2005, landfill waste has decreased by 9 million tons, and it continues to decrease yearly. There are over 35,000 composting programs in operation in the U.S.
Compost Glossary
By composting, you decrease the amount of refuse that your household produces, and you reduce the need for expensive organic fertilizers and pesticides. Compost retains moisture in the soil, and soils that include compost produce healthier indoor and outdoor plants.
Composting Methods
Hot compost piles quickly turn waste into humus through a balance of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, water, and hungry microorganisms - nature's recyclers. Hot piles require a well-insulated compost bin, damp conditions, weekly rotations, and a temperature range of 110 to 140 degrees.
Compost Bin or Compost Tumbler?
One-third of waste from homes can be composted. By composting, the average family can eliminate up to a ton of garbage per year. Compost bins and rotating compost barrels are priced to sell. Composting, nature's way of recycling, is the healthy, economical way to fertilize gardens.
What is Composting and What to Compost
On the average, American households produce over 200 pounds of food waste per year, all of which ends up in landfills, combining with non-organic matter and creating toxic gases and contaminating liquids that seep into water supplies. Composting is the recycling and decomposition of organic matter that is returned to the soil to provide nutrients and restructure the composition of the soil.
