| What is composting? Composting is a natural | | | | as food. This releases heat energy, water and |
| process which can mean different things to | | | | carbon dioxide during the breakdown as |
| different people. The term 'composting' is | | | | by-products and it is this heat that causes |
| used to describe a wide range of activities, | | | | the temperature to rise, which is why compost |
| from a heap of manure at the bottom of a | | | | heaps are often warm and steamy. |
| garden to sophisticated treatment processes | | | | |
| for commercial wastes and is designed to | | | | Here are 5 reasons why everyone should |
| reduce the quantity of organic waste sent to | | | | consider composting: |
| landfills. | | | | |
| | | | 1. Composting reduces the environmental |
| Community composting sites tend to be | | | | impact of having to incinerate organic waste. |
| relatively small. A typical site may process | | | | |
| up to 200 tonnes of material a year. | | | | 2. Organic material can form up to 1/3 of our |
| Commercial sites, where composting is | | | | weekly waste. Without composting, this goes |
| specifically a business activity, or local | | | | straight to landfill. Composting minimises |
| authority sites set up to divert | | | | our landfill waste and recycles it back into |
| biodegradable material from landfill are much | | | | our gardens. |
| larger. With some of the larger sites | | | | |
| processing tens of thousands of tonnes each | | | | 3. Organic waste which is dumped in landfill |
| year, materials handling equipment and | | | | rather than composted stagnates and produces |
| systems become a necessity. | | | | methane and toxic run-off which contaminates |
| | | | soil and groundwater. |
| The purity of the product is very important | | | | |
| and is graded according to its organic | | | | 4. Composting can successfully be carried out |
| purity. Glass is the main product that needs | | | | at any level, from multi-acre commercial or |
| to be eliminated to produce a compost that is | | | | municipal windrows to simple backyard bins. |
| pure enough for sale. This has caused a few | | | | |
| problems with some main commercial composting | | | | 5. Composting is fun, easy and very |
| facilities therefore rendering the compost to | | | | satisfying. |
| be used for capping material until a solution | | | | |
| can be found. | | | | Composting is a fun and |
| | | | environmentally-friendly activity. It's |
| But put simply, the microbes break down large | | | | something anyone can do to make a positive |
| molecules into smaller ones that they can use | | | | contribution to helping the environment. |