Geek Out with Us: Composting!

The Impact of Composting on the Environment:

• Helps reduce waste in landfills. 

  • When food scraps are thrown into our landfills, it generates methane which has a global warming potential 84 times more potent than CO2. But when those food scraps are instead composted and applied to our soils/land, compost sequesters carbon! 

  • Check out this article a fellow ZWOT member wrote about Carbon Sequestration!

• 40% of residential waste found in landfills is supposed to be composed. So by composting, you help extend the life of landfills.  

• Compostable materials such as food waste and paper decompose anaerobically (without oxygen) in a landfill, producing methane (CH4). 

• Composting proves to be an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions!

• It also helps conserve our natural resources, like water.

Other Important Benefits of Composting:

• Saves water!

  • Because compost helps retain most of the soil moisture so you end up watering less.

• There is a significant reduction in the need/use of pesticides, thus reducing further emissions that are associated with them. 

• Compost can filter from 60-95% of urban stormwater pollutants from the soil. 

• Saves money

  • By decreasing the need for chemical fertilizers!

• Improves soil

  • And those nutrients do not get washed away from rain so there is no waste!

  • Soils are able to hold and/or sequester carbon dioxide when compost is used.

  • Composting aids in reducing soil erosion.

  • Increases soil fertility, converts nitrogen into a more stable form and phosphorus into a less soluble form.

• Grows stronger, healthier plants, and overall garden.

  • Healthy soils are extremely important for protecting watersheds. Through composting proves to be the best way to add the vital organic matter to our soils. 

• Composting creates jobs! 

  • Composting helps generate 2x more workers than landfills and 4x more than incinerators!

Basics of Composting:

• Composting 101--another great resource from another ZWOT member!

• Backyard Composting vs Curbside/CU Campus

  • Check out this article about Industrial Composting!

  • Your curbside compost goes to an industrial composting facility where giant compost piles can reach up to 150 degrees, allowing them to break down many of the items that wouldn’t break down in your backyard compost pile!

  • For backyard composting: There are two main types of organic materials you can compost: greens and browns. Greens are high in nitrogen and described as 'wet.' Browns are described as 'dry' materials and are high in carbon. For more details, read this article on the do’s and don'ts of backyard composting!

• If your town does not have its own composting service, here are a few resources I have found to be helpful for D.I.Y. composting!

  • https://lexiscleankitchen.com/how-to-compost/ 

  • https://www.gardeningchannel.com/composting-101/ 

  • https://www.eatingwell.com/article/290750/composting-101-how-to-compost-at-home/ 

• What you can and cannot compost in your backyard:

  • Can: vegetable scraps, newspapers, dead leaves, eggshells, dead flowers, hair/fur,  cardboard, grass, napkins and paper towels, shredded paper, etc.

  • Cannot: meat, fish, animal fats, dairy products, any glossy paper, animal feces, ashes, oils, citrus peels!

Other Resources on Composting:

• For more information on composting, check out one of our most recent AMA’s on our instagram page here! 

  • We answered some questions that got sent in as well as discussing some common topics about composting.

• If you are holding a Zero Waste Event, look at these resources during the planning process.

• Here is a list of acceptable items in your compost bin on the CU campus!