The composting process
- BioGround
- Sep 27, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 29, 2019
Composting is a process that helps to reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Compost is decayed organic matter. Organic matter comes from leaves to banana peels and a different range of other materials. When you mix a bunch of these items together in a compost pile, they break down naturally into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. It helps gardens grow, but can also have other applications.
What can be composted
Greens (high in nitrogen):
* green leaves
* raw fruits and vegetables
* grass
* coffee grounds
* plants without diseases
* egg shells
* bread
* ...
Browns (high in carbon):
* dry leaves
* sawdust
* dry herbs
* small branches
* nuts
* potato skins
* ...
What cannot be composted
* bones
* oil
* pet feces
* wood ash
* meat/fish scraps
* dairy products
* weed seeds
* diseased plants
* chemicals
The benefits of composting
When the food in your trash goes to a landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Composting is a way to minimize those methane emissions. In addition, the compost can be used as a fertilizer, which reduces the need for chemical options. On top of all the great things compost does for the environment, it is also a valuable tool for farmers and gardeners. Compost boosts water retention in soil, which means the budding plants in that soil need less irrigation. This all adds up to more growth with less water and, in turn, another way to create food, flowers, and other plants.
Five reasons to practice composting
Reduces your waste up to 65%
Supports a circular economy
Turns organic matter into fertilizer
Reduces methane emissions in landfills
Reduces carbon dioxide emissions made by garbage trucks
Applications
Compost can be used in a variety of applications. High quality compost is frequently used in agriculture, horticulture, landscaping and home gardening. Medium quality compost can be used in applications such as erosion control and roadside landscaping. Low quality compost is used as a landfill cover or in land reclamation projects.
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