Have you ever wondered what you could do with your leftover food scraps or yard waste? Did you ever think you could use this material to make your soil and plants healthier?
Composting yard waste is a soil conditioner that improves texture, air circulation and drainage, moderates soil temperature, enhances nutrient and water-holding capacity, decreases erosion, inhibits weed growth, and stops some plant pathogens. Many states have banned the disposal of yard waste and the burning of yard waste. Compost is mainly made from organic material such as leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, bark chips, kitchen scraps and in some cases manure. Compost is typically spread around the bases of trees, plants, and through flower beds.
Here are some statistics about yard waste and composting in the U.S
Yard waste generated:
– An estimated 32.9 million tons of yard waste is generated every year.
– An estimated 216.4 pounds per person is generated each year.
Composted:
– An estimated 21.3 million tons or 64.7% is composted every year.
– Yard waste compost accounts for one-fourth of the U.S. recycling rate.
Landfills:
– An estimated 11.6 million tons of yard waste is discarded every year.
Landfill volume:
– An estimated 21.7 million cubic yards is sitting in landfills that could have been recycled and composted.
Basic household composting can help prevent this natural material from taking up space in a landfill and can be easy to do. To learn more about composting visit some of the links and sources below.
To learn more about composting visit:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/recycle/reduce/composting-yard-and-food-waste.html
Sources:
www.waste360.com