INTRO TO COMPOSTING

Whether you’re just starting out on your green journey or you’re looking for a way to make your eco-friendly lifestyle more green every day, you’re probably familiar with the idea of composting, even if you haven’t yet tried it yourself. Composting is an incredibly effective way to reduce waste, limit landfill use, and create healthy, beneficial resources that help farmers, gardeners, and people around the world. Learn more about composting and the Commit to Green role in reducing, reusing, and recycling today!

What is compost?

Compost forms as a result of the natural breakdown of organic material by bacteria, fungi, insects and animals which live in soil.

As these organisms break down waste they generate heat, which is why compost heaps often feel warm and can sometimes even be seen steaming in cold weather. Not only can it be used in gardens and on industrial farms, but compost has benefits in preventing erosion, reconstructing wetlands, and even covering up landfills.

Why compost?

It’s estimated that citizens living in the United States can compost up to 30% of their daily waste, which means diverting 30% of materials away from landfills and that’s huge! Landfills are an incredibly dangerous way to dispose of waste, as they cause pollution and fumes, release toxins in the air, and often contaminate the food and water supplies for local townships. 

And they don’t even really work. Because there’s not enough light or oxygen, food waste can’t properly decompose in a landfill environment, and instead releases dangerous methane gases, a top contributor to the global climate crisis.

Composting means we can reduce our reliance on landfills and start to build a cleaner, healthier future right from the comfort of home.

How does composting help?

Not only is composting an excellent way to divert waste from landfills and incinerators, but it also provides vital resources for gardeners, farmers, and land reconstruction projects. Once made, compost becomes a nutrient-rich fertilizer that retains moisture and creates ideal growing environments for both home and industrial gardeners. It can even be used as mulch in order to reduce the spread of weeds.

Compost can also help to prevent damage to peat bogs, which are vitally important homes for a wide range of wildlife, as well a tool for mitigating and controlling soil erosion. Send 30% less waste to the landfills-check. Grow a beautiful home garden-check! Encourage wildlife growth and stability-check, check, check!