No doubt you’ve got a friend who composts. You’ve witnessed this friend dutifully put all their food scraps and yard waste into a bin in the backyard, turning it and monitoring it regularly.
But why? Why are more and more people composting? What’s in it for them?
Read on to find out what your friend is getting out of their compost pile and how you, too, can start reaping the benefits of composting.
What Is Composting?
In forests and other areas unaffected by humanity, microorganisms break down leaves, dead plants and animals, and other organic materials. The resulting nutrients are taken up by the soil, where they’re distributed to surrounding plants and trees, which soak up these nutrients in an ongoing natural process known as the “carbon cycle.”
Composting mimics this decomposition process and uses household organic matter, such as yard waste, food waste, and food scraps, to create finished compost, which you can then apply to your garden and houseplants
Common compostable materials around the house include kitchen waste, such as coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable scraps, and eggshells, and yard waste, such as grass clippings, fallen leaves, and sticks.
Composting can be done in one of two ways: aerobic or anaerobic composting. With aerobic composting, organisms that require oxygen break down the organic material. These physical decomposers include macro-organisms such as earthworms, beetles, mites, and sowbugs, accompanied by chemical decomposers, micro-organisms such as beneficial bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. This method requires frequent turning of the pile to initiate aeration.
Anaerobic decomposition involves the use of anaerobic microbes that thrive in an oxygen-free environment. While this approach is less effective because it can release biogas—and is more likely to be smelly—many anaerobic composting bins contain features that minimize this problem.
Which composting method you use will determine how the organic waste is broken down, what beneficial microbes are incorporated, what type of compost bin you’ll need, and whether it’s suitable for indoor composting.
Though people speak about composting generally, there are actually multiple methods. Here are the four most common.
Hot composting
Hot composting is an effective option for anyone who wants to take a more hands-on approach and wants to create humus (the organic matter in soil) quickly. The process entails using the right ratio of brown and green materials—which regulate carbon and nitrogen, respectively—in the compost pile, while aerating the organic material frequently by mixing the materials.
Paying attention to how much vegetable waste, grass clippings, yard trimmings, and other materials are placed in the pile is vital to maintaining the proper ratio, which ensures less smell, fewer pests, and faster decomposition. It can be tricky, but if you start to notice a lot of fruit flies in your compost material, it’s a sign that you need to add more brown material.
As the name suggests, hot composting uses heat to destroy any pathogens or diseases that may have made their way into the compost bin without destroying any essential nutrients. Heat also optimizes the microbial activity wherein beneficial composting organisms break down the organic waste and turn it into an incredibly valuable resource for soil. While it’s a good idea to place your bin in a sunny spot, “heat” actually refers to the energy created by aerobic composition.
Cold composting
Cold composting doesn’t involve as much effort. It uses an anaerobic process, so it doesn’t need to be aerated or mixed. Compostable materials can simply be added as they build up, though it’s best to alternate layers of green materials and brown materials. While it may need less effort, cold composting does take longer.
All decomposition, including composting, releases fossil fuels in the form of biogas, which is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. The cold composting approach, however, creates more greenhouse gas than hot composting, which is a notable drawback. If you’re hoping to reduce your carbon footprint by composting, you should keep this in mind when choosing a composting method.
Vermicomposting
Also known as worm composting, vermicomposting uses earthworms to create compost. The worms eat the organic materials, with the resulting excrement containing the same important nutrients seen in compost from alternative techniques.
Bokashi composting
Bokashi composting is an ancient Asian technique that breaks down waste products without needing much space, making it an effective at-home composting technique for people with small homes or apartments. The process involves using bokashi inoculant, a mixture of wheat, bran, water, molasses, and microorganisms to create compost.
Benefits of Composting
Though composting needs a small up-front investment and some ongoing effort, the benefits of reducing your waste this way dramatically outweigh the costs.
Improved garden and houseplant quality
Adding compost can nurture plant and flower growth while preventing weed growth. By helping retain moisture in soil, compost is especially useful in drought-prone areas.
Because of all these nutrients, compost is an effective alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Chemical fertilizers actually degrade humus—the organic portion of soil—overtime, depleting it of organic matter and making the soil dependent on the chemicals. Compost, on the other hand, is a rich, nutrient-filled material that contains multiple nutrients for a healthy soil:
- Phosphorous
- Nitrogen
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Copper
- Zinc
- Iron
- Iodine
- Magnezium
- Calcium
- Carbon
- Sulfur
- Boron
All plants can benefit from the nutrients in compost. You may even notice your perennials and spring bulbs bloom for longer.
Environmental benefits of composting
Composting’s biggest impact area is environmental health. As Earth continues to warm, weather patterns become more dangerous, and species begin to disappear, we must all do what we can, and every little bit helps. Composting helps the environment in a few notable ways.
Reduced methane gas & carbon emissions
When left alone, organic matter breaks down naturally in a process called aerobic decomposition. Human intervention changes that, with food waste ending up in landfills. The organic matter is typically compacted and starved of oxygen, resulting in anaerobic decomposition.
During this process, anaerobic bacteria and microorganisms break down the materials and create a potent greenhouse gas called biogas. That biogas, made up of methane and carbon dioxide, both dangerous greenhouse gases, traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, fueling climate change. Composting reduces methane emissions by ensuring this doesn’t have a chance to take place. According to research from Princeton University, composting organic material instead of sending it to landfills can reduce greenhouse gases by 50%.
Water conservation
Agriculture is one of the leading industries for water usage worldwide. The United States, for example, uses 80% of its water on growing crops. Composting cuts down on the need for this by helping the soil retain more water after it’s been irrigated. Soil that sees its organic matter makeup increase by 1% needs 20,000 fewer gallons of water per year.
Reduced water pollution
As an alternative to chemical fertilizers, compost helps protect aquatic life and water quality. When chemical fertilizers are applied in large amounts to gardens and fields, those chemicals eventually wash away into rivers, lakes, and oceans, where they cause algal blooms that starve aquatic animals and organisms of oxygen. This has far-reaching implications, even economic ones, as impacted fish populations can affect the economic livelihoods of fishing communities.
Alternative to pesticides
Compost is an effective alternative to pesticides and fungicides, both of which contain a chemical called methyl bromide. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this chemical is known to be harmful to the environment as well as human health. While its use has been phased out to some degree, it’s still used in multiple pesticides. Compost does as good a job in starving off harmful bacteria and fungicides without using this chemical.
Improved soil quality
Most people don’t realize that soil health has implications far beyond what lies beneath the surface of the earth. Poor soil health can lead to climate change, soil erosion, natural disasters, and more.
Adding compost improves soil health by creating nutrient-rich soil, increasing the soil’s cation exchange capacity, which then lets it deliver nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the plants. All gardens should see the following benefits from healthy soil:
- Lusher, greener grass
- Longer blooming perennials
- Brighter, more colorful flowers that grow for longer
- Early spring bulbs
- Fewer weeds
Soil that has had compost added will be denser, with better pH levels, and will retain more water, which will strengthen plant roots and enhance your plants and flowers. Strong, dense soil will not only help your plants grow better but also reduce soil erosion. Compost also prevents your soil from degrading, so you won’t have to use commercial fertilizer.
Economic benefits of composting
While throwing out trash is unavoidable, most people could easily reduce their waste. In fact, food and garden waste comprises 28% of what the average household throws out. That comes at an enormous economic cost, with the United States alone spending $55 to dispose of every ton of this waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the country throws out an average of 267 million tons every year. That math adds up to a number so big I didn’t even know how to read it on my calculator.
Outside of the United States, dealing with this food waste is expensive, and only getting moreso. In 2010, dealing with this waste cost $210 billion, but this is projected to increase to $375 billion by 2025. Composting reduces waste at its source and removes all of this cost. The more waste that’s composted, the fewer resources are needed to deal with it. This is money that could be invested into green energy solutions instead.
Social benefits of composting
Composting benefits society, as well, particularly by building stronger food systems. Municipal and private companies sell compost locally, and community composting has become increasingly popular. The material is effectively returned to the people who initially generated it, with the compost then being used in local agriculture, community gardens, and local farms, which then take advantage of the agricultural benefits of composting. It forms a circle that strengthens the local food system, thereby strengthening communities as well.
Compost also creates healthier food, thanks to the nutrients it adds to soil, which are then absorbed by crops, and subsequently end up on a plate. These nutrient-packed crops are far healthier than those grown in soil that has been treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, or not treated at all. Healthier food means healthier, happier people.
Drawbacks of Composting
While the benefits of composting are well known, it also has its drawbacks—especially home composting.
Cost
The initial investment intimidates some people out of composting, but with some creativity it can be a pretty inexpensive project. While it’s possible to create a DIY compost bin with wooden pallets, DIY compost bins can emit foul odors as the organic material breaks down, which can affect quality of life. Professionally made compost bins can avoid this, but they come at a cost. The average cost of a commercially available compost bin is $100–$500.
Pests
A compost bin can also attract animals and pests that smell the scraps and other food waste as it breaks down. What might smell like decomposing onion peels to people could be an appetizing meal to a wild animal. Commercial compost bins are designed specifically to prevent this, but keep in mind that options that don’t attract pests usually cost more than those that could attract pests.
Space
Some compost bins are quite large, so space could also be a drawback for people living in small homes or apartments. While composting indoors avoids the pests and animals mentioned above, it also means giving up at least a few cubic feet specifically for the compost bin.
How to Compost
Composting doesn’t need to be difficult, as long as you know what materials to use:
- Kitchen scraps and food waste, such as fruit and vegetable peels
- Grass clippings
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Cardboard, uncoated and cut up into small pieces
- Hair and fur
- Eggshells
- Sawdust
- Shredded newspaper
- Yard waste
- Green Leaves
- Wood chips
Some composting tips: Before adding any of these to your compost bin, cut them up into small pieces so they’ll break down faster. Add scraps and waste as you make them, but remember to turn the material every few days. You’ll know the compost is finished when it looks like soil. If you want to build up your scraps before adding them to the compost pile, keep them in the fridge to avoid smells and pests.
You’ll also need to know what not to add to your compost pile, with black walnut tree leaves and twigs being a notable no-go. These excrete toxins into your compost, which then work their way into whatever you add the compost to. There are a few other materials you should also avoid:
- Cooking oils
- Rice
- Acidic fruits and vegetables
- Dairy, meat, or other animal products
- Coal or charcoal ash
Benefits of Composting: Wrapping Up
Though it’s not all fun and games, the benefits of composting drastically outweigh the drawbacks. Compost reduces the need for chemical pesticides, reduces landfill waste, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Adding compost to a garden or field creates nutrient-rich soil perfect for growing crops, plants, and flowers.
With a small bit of effort and initial investment, making compost is a breeze. Start composting at home today and YOU can be the friend someone knows who’s into composting.
FAQ
How do I know what to compost?
Generally speaking, any organic material is compostable waste, but diseased or insect-ridden matter should be avoided. Plant diseases don’t tend to break down during the composting process, instead spreading across any soil you add the compost to. Also, it’s best to let your yard trimmings dry out before adding them. Some items, such as baked goods, are more likely to attract pests, and you should never add meat or fats to your compost pile for the same reason. For more on this, read my articles about what to compost and what not to compost.
What are the personal benefits of composting?
If you start composting regularly, you will reduce wasted food, save money on fertilizers and pesticides, and improve your soil’s health, helping your plants, trees, and shrubbery to thrive. Not to mention the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping to combat climate change and reducing your carbon footprint.
What is compost and why is it important?
Compost is a material normally created in nature, with dead shrubs, plants, and animals breaking down over months or years to create nutrient-rich materials that feed back into ecosystems and help them thrive. When done at home in a compost bin, this process speeds up, with the material being as nutrient-rich, if not moreso, than its counterpart in nature. It’s important because it prevents the dangerous release of biogas from landfills.