What is compost?

The EPA defines compost as “an 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.”

  

The EPA further outlines the many beneficial uses of compost in both home and business applications.

• 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.
• Avoids Methane and leachate formulation in landfills.
• 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. 
• Reduces the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Serves as a marketable commodity and is a low-cost alternative to standard landfill cover and artificial soil amendments.
• Extends municipal landfill life by diverting organic materials from landfills.