1. Reducing waste
2. Improving our soil.

Reducing Waste 

Yard and kitchen waste accounts for approximately 30% of our landfills.  The standard means of disposal for most yard and food waste include landfilling and incineration. These practices are not as environmentally or economically sound as composting. Yard waste in a landfill breaks down very slowly due to the lack of oxygen. As it decomposes, it produces methane gas and acidic leachate, which are both environmental problems. By reducing our waste, we reduce the number and size of landfills we need and the cost to operate them. 

 Improve our soil

Composting is part of the earth’s biological cycle of growth and decay.  Energy for the sun, carbon dioxide  from the air and nutrients from water and soil make plants grow.  When they die and decompose through a complex process involving microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, insects, worms and mites, nutrients are returned to the soil and carbon dioxide into the air.  What remains is called humus.  Humus (another word for compost) provides soil with organic matter that can hold water and nutrients in the soil, making it easier to till and providing a better environment for plants to grow.

One more reason….FREE STUFF!

A free natural soil fertilizer & amendment

While it takes thousands of years for the earth’s forces to build good soil, we can help do this in 5-10 years by adding compost-which adds microorganisms, worms, arthropods and humus to the soil.  Adding Compost to soil can reduce your outdoor water bill by 30% and provide all of the necessary nutrients your plants and garden need. 

Change happens one individual at a time.

Compost Cycle

Composting is the decomposition of plants and other organic materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is full of nutrients.  It is a natural soil amendment that is excellent for adding to houseplants, enriching garden soil and planting beds. It is the way nature is designed to recycle. 

In the natural world, composting is what happens as leaves pile up on the forest floor and begin to decay. Eventually, the rotting leaves are returned to the soil, where living roots can finish the recycling process by reclaiming the nutrients from the decomposed leaves. If you’ve ever taken a stroll in the woods and smelled the ‘woodsy’ scent, that is compost!

Compost added to gardens improves soil structure, texture, aeration, and water retention. When mixed with compost, clay soils are lightened, and sandy soils retain water better. Mixing compost with soil also contributes to erosion control, soil fertility, proper pH balance, and healthy root development in plants.

 Composting is a great way to recycle your yard and kitchen wastes, and is a critical step in reducing the volume of garbage needlessly sent to landfills for disposal. Approximately 30% of  our landfills are yard and kitchen waste.  Yard waste which is landfilled breaks down very slowly due to the lack of oxygen. As it decomposes, it produces methane gas and acidic leachate, which are both environmental problems.

Composting is a quick, easy solution.  Today, the use of composting to turn organic wastes into a valuable resource is expanding rapidly in the United States and in other countries, as landfill space becomes scarce and expensive, and as people become more aware of the impacts they have on the environment. It is my hope that soon, composting will be as commonplace as recycling aluminum cans and newspaper is today.

With the help of The Compost Queen, you can learn how to Compost, even better than nature does.

It could be a covered pile, a handmade bin system , a store bought bin or a tumbler….