Composting is a simple and effective way to reduce waste by decomposting it and promote sustainability. Just in the United States alone, food waste accounts for approximately 22% of landfill volume. Just by composting we can have a noticable impact on the earth and play our little part in saving the environment.
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But the benefits of composting go beyond waste reduction. In fact, composting has numerous benefits for both the environment and our communities. Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of compost and why you should consider starting your own composting journey.
How composting benefits Soil?
Increases the water retention property of the soil
Compost improves the soil structure and creates small pores in the soil which in turn reduces soil compaction and helps the soil to hold more water in it and avoid water runoff. By increasing the water retention capacity of water, soil can hold water for longer time and improve the growth of plants.
Increases the microbial activity in soil
The soil is consist of micro-organisms which are good for plants. The organic matter in the compost provides food and energy for soil micro-organisms which helps them provide a better living condition where they can grow at better rates which increases their overall activity in the soil.
Compost Supports Biodiversity
As compost is made after the decomposition of organic matter by natural occuring organisms, compost helps in creating a very friendly environment for bacterias and worms which keep the soil and plants healthy and saving the biodiversity of soil.
Grow better plants with compost
Compost contains nutrients which are very essential for plant growth. When you add compost into the soil it improves the soil structure and restores the nutrients of the soil. These nutrients are released slowly by compost into the soil helping plants get proper nutrients for a longer period of time.
Helps in controlling diseases and pests
Compost is filled with healthy and beneficial micro-organisms which are good for plants. These micro-organisms help supress the growth of bad bacteria, pests and other diseases caused due to soil.
Benefits of the compost to the Environment
Compost can help reduce soil erosion
Usually due to the force of flowing wind and water, the particles of soil flow away with them and this causes soil erosion. When you add compost to the soil, the organic matter in the compost helps keep the soil particles binded together which helps in reduces soil erosion.
Helps keep the water bodies clean
Compost helps in binding the soil particles together which will help in reduction of soil erosion. Also, compost improves the water holding capacity of the soil which helps soil hold the water in it for longer time and nutrients will not get washed off into the water bodies that easily, so helping in keeping water bodies cleaner.
Composting leads to reduced landfills
Organic waste makes up really a significant part of daily waste and when you start composting, it leads to lesser waste going out into landfills. Landfills are becoming a huge issue now a days. Few effects of reduced landfills are given below:
Composting can Reduce Methane Emission
When you dump the waste from your homes, it goes into the landfills which in turn results in the production of methane gas. Methane, a greenhouse gas that results in major change in climate, is produces because of anaerobic decomposition of waste. When you prepare compost, its an aerobic process, which produces CO2, which is also a Green house gas, but its effects are much less as compared to methane. Also, composting also reduces the amount of waste dumped in the landfills which in turn reduces the size of landfills which in turns reduces the production of methane.
Reduces greenhouse emission
By composting you’re reducing the amount of overall organic waste sent to the landfills, which in turn, reduces the greenhouse gas emission overall which leads to reduction of overall decrease in emission of green house gas
Improves Air Quality
When you stop waste from getting into landfills, the production of harmful gasses decrease which results in improvement of overall air quality.
Composting Supports Sustainable agriculture
By composting, you’re replacing chemical fertilisers with natural ones to provide the plants with required nutrients. By using compost, you’re also reducing your dependence on chemical fertilisers and saving soil and water from getting polluted.
Reduced Use of Synthetic Fertilizers
Synthetic fertilizers are usually made up of fossil fuels and might even harm the soil and water streams nearby. Those synthetic fertilizers may also produce green house gasses which are ultimately harmful for the environment. Replacing synthetic fertilizers with compost you can reduce the need of those fertilizers and save the environmental problems.
Compost benefits for society
Support farmers and other plantation related businesses
When you decompose your organic waste yourself, you can either use it for yourself or you can collectively send it to your local farmers and gardeners and help them in farming better crops for your own society.
Increases the age of landfills
Almost 30-40% of the material in a landfill is organic matter which can be converted into compost. If we stop dumping organic waste into the landfills, we’ll end up saving space which is being consumed by the organic waste and it’ll take longer to fill the landfill to it’s peak and this will increase the age of landfill.
Reduces the overall cost of food
Right now, chemical fertilizers which are being used are prepared in factories and they are prepared after processing them. All of that cost is added to the crops those fertilizers are used on. Composting usually requires very less efforts and budget as compared to chemical fertilizers which will inturn reduce the price of crops it will be used t grow.
Lowers the cost of gardening
If you have a home garden, you can prepare your own compost at home by the organic waste you generate and save the money that you use in fertilizing the soil
Less chemical in food, healthier the society
Chemicals contaminate the organic food we eat, if farmers start using just compost to grow crops, it will result in production of healthier crops and people will also be healthier as they’ll be eating healthy.
