The cycling of organic matter back into nutrients to be used by new organisms is an essential part of every ecological system. Since ancient times humans have tweaked conditions just so to speed up this decomposition in a more controlled manner because of the value of the finished product - compost!
Waste Reduction
Almost one third of household waste generated in the United States can be composted. The percentage is higher in businesses such as restaurants and hotels and schools. Diverting organics into compost will save space in landfills and could reduce hauling costs for municipalities and households. The use of compost on home gardens, municipal parks, organic farms and everywhere in between also saves thousands of tons of fertilizer and many gallons of water from being wasted each year by enhancing soil productivity and water holding capacity naturally.
Climate Change
Compost can play an important role in fighting climate change - both through diversion and sequestration. Organic “waste” that is buried in landfills is left to decompose in an environment largely devoid of oxygen. In these anaerobic spaces decomposition takes place very slowly and the gaseous byproduct released by respiring bacteria is often methane gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas that has 84x more global warming potential over a 20 year time frame than carbon dioxide. The diversion of organics into compost turns that “waste,” and the harmful methane emissions associated with it, into a nutrient rich soil amendment that can be used to actually sequester carbon from the atmosphere. How? Compost provides a substrate and the nutrients that plants need to grow into their potential, in the process taking in carbon dioxide and turning it into biomass, thus removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Soil Health
Soil is composed of mineral particles (sand, silt, and clay), pore space (which is filled with water and air), and organic matter. Organic matter is anything that is or once was alive, including compost. Compost is usually rich in nutrients that plants need to grow, thus adding compost to any soil should enhance its productivity. Compost is also rich in microorganisms, which are essential for soil health and nutrient cycling. Compost can also help improve the texture of a soil. Soil texture is often defined as the relative percentages of sand, silt, and clay. Soils that are largely composed of sand tend to have a low nutrient and water holding capacity due to the large particle size and low surface area to volume ratio. The addition of compost increases the soil’s potential surface area for holding nutrients and water. Clay is the opposite. Due to extremely fine particle size, pore space is often waterlogged, and the addition of compost can enhance the texture to allow more airflow (which supports aerobic bacteria that are key to decomposition). In water stressed environments the water holding capacity of organic matter cannot be understated in importance. One pound of compost can hold and retain up to forty pounds of water!
Circular Economy
Composting can be at the heart of a truly circular economy. Industrial composting has the potential to turn an entire community’s food and yard “waste” into “black gold” that will help build back local soil, support local farming jobs, and aid in the growth of locally grown, nutrient rich produce. On a smaller scale, what can be better than composting your food scraps and turning it into nutrients that will aid in growing next year’s backyard garden?
