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 What
is Compost?
Compost is organic material that can be used
as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants. Mature compost is a
stable material with a content called humus that is dark brown or black
and has a soil-like, earthy smell. It is created by: combining organic
wastes (e.g., yard trimmings, food wastes, manures) in proper ratios
into piles, rows, or vessels; adding bulking agents (e.g., wood chips)
as necessary to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials; and
allowing the finished material to fully stabilize and mature through a
curing process.
• Natural composting, or biological
decomposition, began with the first plants on earth and has been going
on ever since. As vegetation falls to the ground, it slowly decays,
providing minerals and nutrients needed for plants, animals, and
microorganisms. Mature compost, however, includes the production of high
temperatures to destroy pathogens and weed seeds that natural
decomposition does not destroy.
Did You Know That Compost Can...
• Suppress plant diseases
and pests.
• Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.
• Promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
• Facilitate
reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts
by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils.
•
Cost-effectively remediate soils contaminated by hazardous waste.
•
Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff.
• Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic
chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.
• Provide cost savings of at
least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution
remediation technologies, where applicable.
Find a Commercial
Compost Facility in Your Area:
www.findacomposter.com
Download The US Composting Council's
Composting Fact Sheet
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What is Compost
Environmental Benefits
