Composting 101
| Composting and Climate Change Compostable organic waste is traditionally disposed of in landfills, which causes a couple of problems, one of which is particularly threatening to the issue of climate change and global warming. Food waste degrades fairly rapidly in a landfill, but, without the presence of oxygen (similar to septic tanks), the food waste is broken down by anaerobic bacteria which release methane as a by-product of their metabolic process. What does this mean? From a global warming point of view a given amount of methane is 23 times more threatening as a greenhouse gas than the same amount of carbon dioxide. So if food waste can be kept out of a landfill by composting it instead, our environment benefits. In addition, incorporating compost into soil effectively locks up carbon in the form of organic matter and ultimately humus which can last for many years or even decades. This is just another very positive way of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. |
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| Compost as a fertilizer
Compost is excellent for improving degraded soils and making them productive again for food production or ornamental crops. Since compost has a good balance of major and micro nutrients it can effectively replace significant quantities of commercial fertilizer which is fossil fuel based. Unlike commercial petroleum fertilizers, the nitrogen in compost is in a slow release form and will have minimal negative impact upon surface or ground water supplies. |
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| Items that can be composted In addition to lawn and garden trimmings, kitchen waste contains a variety of nutrients, which allow composting bacteria to produce sugar and heat, and to thrive. Vegetable, fruit trimmings and coffee grounds all have a high nitrogen content. Eggshells also provide a good source of soil nutrient, but do take a lot longer to decompose than fruit and vegetable matter. |
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How To: Types of composing |
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Paul W. Bryant High School
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