Explain Two Positive Environmental Impacts of Composting 

Composting is one of the most sustainable organic waste management practices. It is becoming popular as it positively affects our environment, economy, and health. Composting cleans nature and replenishes nutrients on the earth. It can also produce energy like heat into electricity. Composting has the most immediate impact on improving the environment and ecological balance. It restores the world by reducing its Carbon footprint and nurturing Biodiversity. In this article, we will explain two positive environmental impacts of composting, which are the most crucial factors in recovering our environment. 

We will also discuss the basics of composting and its other advantages. Read the whole article to get a crystal clear idea of composting and why you should encourage this. So, hopefully, we will have a lot of fun.

What is Composting?

Composting is the process of speeding up the decomposition of organic waste. It requires a perfect environment with favorable air, temperature, and moisture. Microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and Protozoa digest and break down the waste. The end product is humus, which recycles nutrients back into nature. That is why people consider it “Nature’s way of recycling.”

Key Elements of Composting

The main ingredients of the composting process are

  1. Feedstock or organic waste
  • Brown or carbon-rich waste: Dry leaves, chopped wood, yeard trimming, paper products, grass clippings, crop residues, straws, etc.
  • Green or Nitrogen waste: Food scraps, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds etc.
  1. Oxygen
  2. Water
  3. Temperature (131-160 degrees Fahrenheit)

Start by cutting the waste into convenient sizes to simplify the process. Try to avoid organic waste like oil, meat, and dairy products. They can produce a strong odor and attract pests and other pathogens. Also, ensure the feedstocks are free from herbicides, non-compostable packaging, stickers, etc. 

You must combine the feedstock in the perfect ratio(2:1) of Green and brown waste.  Then, make a compost pile with the mixture. Ensure proper moisture level and oxygen circulation. Only then will the microorganisms have the opportunity to thrive. They will break down the waste into quality compost. Turn the mix often to ensure constant oxygen and moisture supply. 

What are The Types of Composting?

There are several scales and ways of composting. It will depend on the quantity and type of waste and your equipment. The most popular ways of composting are,

  1. Backyard Composting
  2. Vermicomposting
  3. Countertop composting
  4. On-from composting
  5. Municipal/Community Composting
  6. Commercial Composting

Backyard composting is the most common method. You can pile the waste in a big bin or set it up in another backyard. On-farm composting targets agricultural areas. Vermicomposting and countertop composting are more popular in city areas. Municipal and commercial composting deals with tons of waste from a whole community. They use advanced equipment and setups that target better output and recycling.

Explain Two Positive Environmental Impacts of Composting

Two positive environmental impacts of composting are its contribution to impeding negative climate change and stabilizing wetland functionality and biodiversity. Let’s get a detailed view of how composting brings all these positive changes.

Climate Change Mitigation and Resilience

Organic waste in landfills produces a lot of methane. Methane is 28-34 times stronger greenhouse gas than Carbon Dioxide. It causes  25% of climate change. In the same way, when you burn waste, it produces a massive amount of Carbon Dioxide and Nitrous Oxide. The latter is 310 times more heat-trapping than Carbon Dioxide. Thus, Landfills cause 10% of global greenhouse emissions and 11% of methane production. These increasing greenhouse gases are preventable by composting.

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Composting leaves little space to produce greenhouse gases. Also, compost can help soil sequester carbon from the air. Then, it traps it for photosynthesis and plant growth to ensure a cooler environment. A study in California found that a ¼ inch of added compost can help soil store up to 900 extra pounds of Carbon per acre. The effects can last up to 15-30 years after one application. Thus, it can balance the greenhouse gases at a satisfactory level.

Composting also helps to increase environmental resilience and fight climate change. It purifies and restores polluted soil, water, and air.  It leads to a healthier environment that makes plants and animals thrive. They become strong enough to withstand storms, droughts, heavy floods, and other calamities. Last but not least, compost’s multilayered usability makes people more conscious. They get more interested in green waste management for positive climate change.

Supports Wetland Reclamation

Supporting wetland for reclamation for positive environmental impacts of composting. This composting has a direct positive impact on Wetlands’ structure and biodiversity. It starts with purifying the local water supplies. Compost binds soils into a water circulation-friendly structure. Also, it increases Hydraulic conductivity to help water pass through the soil and rock layer. This process filters the water and cools it down. Thus, compost restores local wetlands like springs, ponds, and lakes. 

supports-wetland-reclamation

Composting supplies all the organic materials to improve the wetland soil quality. As a result, they become safe habitats for wetland plants, fish, and other organisms. The organic matter helps maintain the proper moisture level and create new wetlands. They can sustain in dry seasons and prevent overflowing in the rainy season. 

Local water and streams also go into the sea. Compost helps filter out heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemical runoffs, leading to cleaner oceans. It can also reduce the level of Nitrogen in water, helping to prevent fish deaths and dangerous algae blooms in the sea. As a result, aquatic plants and animals have a proliferating environment to grow. This growth leads to a balanced environment and an enriched blue economy.

What are the Ten Advantages of Composting?

Composting has countless advantages. From freeing landfill spaces to supplying renewable energies and meeting the vast demand of the world population, composting can contribute to all. Here are ten benefits of composting use that will encourage you to compost more.

Reduces Food Waste

According to the Natural Resources Defence Council, 40% of the food produced in the US gets wasted. Americans throw away 133 million edible foods yearly, wasting about 161 billion American dollars. This is creating pressure on food production and distribution. It leads to extreme food loss, food insecurity, and hunger. In the broader term, it has a great effect on biodiversity loss. 

reduce-food-waste

You can understand how much food you are wasting while composting. It encourages you not to create food scarcity for future generations. Thus, composting discourages buying and wasting excessive food. It also encourages you to fulfill the nutrition demands of others by donating. Besides, it helps you to utilize the food waste in other possible fruitful ways. This awareness of composting makes it one of the top tiers of the EPA’s Wasted Food Scale.

Diverts Material from Landfills

According to the EPA, 30% of landfilled waste is organic. An average  American landfills 1200 pounds of compostable waste per year. These wastes are often wrapped and mixed with nonbiodegradable plastics and polythene. As a result, they take more time to decompose and occupy the area for years. For this, the US can run out of any landfill in 5-20 years. This will also contribute to rapid odor, mismanagement in waste disposal, and pollution.

diverts-material-from-landfills

Composting solves the problem by sorting out the waste in the backyard or bins. They will decompose fast and make space for the next composting process. Thus, it can reduce the dependency on the landfill to a greater extent. It saves a lot of space, which people can use for home, hospitals, shops, recreation, etc.

Improves Soil Health

Compost improves the structural, biological, and chemical health of the soil. It adds a considerable amount of humic substances to the soil. They act like glue to bind soil into larger particles. For clay soil, compost helps to make it more workable by reducing density and compaction. 

For the sandy soils, compost binds the particles for better aggregation. Thus, they balance soil moisture, density, and porosity. This robust texture helps the plant roots grow properly. It also helps prevent soil degradation like erosion, depletion, or desertification.

improve-soil-health

Compost can also restore the degraded soil through the bioremediation process. It cleans pesticides, solvents, metals, hydrocarbons, petroleum products, explosives, etc. The microbial activities help to break down nutrients for the plants and suppress the soil-born diseases. They also increase infiltration and aeration to ensure the utmost functionality, tilth, and fertility of the soil.

Composts can also balance the soil’s pH, which is important for health. Most compost helps stabilize soil PH between 6 and 8 to offer better plant nutrient distribution. It also helps to make the Cation exchange process easier. This process helps the soil retain nutrients like organic carbon and nitrogen better. 

Allows Water Retention

Compost acts like a sponge and quickly absorbs water to reduce the surface flow of water. Thus, it increases soil water holding capacity. It helps soil retain water for a long time so the plant roots can get enough water. Transferring water through the deep soil also allows plants to maximize water for food and growth.

Some studies by Michigan State University have proven that adding 1% organic matter can make soil hold 16500 gallons of water per acre to one foot deep. This will double if the organic matter is increased by 2%, which is even better. 

allows-water-retention

Additionally, if you add compost as much in the topsoil, it will help the soil keep cool and prevent water loss from evaporation. Thus, compost can increase soil water retention by 20%. It helps reduce the need for irrigation for your crops and prevent much water loss. Undoubtedly, it is a blessing for our world, which is getting drier daily. 

Increasing Soil Biodiversity

Healthy soil biodiversity is the precondition of a healthy ecosystem. Compost protects and nourishes useful soil pathogens like Mycorrhizae, fungi, earthworms, and insects. They act like the probiotics in the human body and attract new microorganisms. They add to the soil’s nutritional value. Mycorrhizae can alone maximize 4.5 times more plant growth. 

increasing-soil-biodiversity

Microorganisms also create a fruitful space for plants, fight diseases, and increase functionality. Healthy and fruitful plants attract birds, butterflies, and other creatures. They ensure a healthy shelter and food to grow. Thus, compost aids in creating stable and sustainable soil biodiversity.

Increase Plant Growth and Crop Yield

Compost traps the food nutrients back into the soil. This can nourish the next food production. It gives the roots enough space to absorb nutrients and water to the fullest.  It also helps the plant grow without any impediment by eliminating weed growth. As a result, you can produce a larger quantity of stronger plants and crops. 

Increase-Plant-Growth-and-Crop-Yield

Compost also helps to increase biomass production. Using compost, you can get up to 50% or more grass and veggies. Many people can use this biomass system to produce gas, heat, and electricity. Also, composting improves the quantity and longevity of plants and crops. It also multiplies their nutrition content. It ensures ample nutritious and fresh products for consumers. Thus, compost contributes to a significant positive impact on human health and the economy. 

Minimise Chemical Usages

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides may help grow plants fast. But they pollute soil and water and lead to global warming. Also, synthetic fertilizers make the soil acidic. It is harmful to the growth of plants and other useful microorganisms. You can restore the damage by using compost as fertilizer.

Minimises-Chemical-Usages

When we use compost with the soil, it supplies all the nutrients needed for plants. Compost ensures the Macronutrients like Nitrogen, phosphorus, and Potassium. Also, it supplies other minerals and micronutrients that fertilizers can not. Fertiliser supplies all the limited nutrients for a single time. But compost supplies them for at least 6-12 months per application. 

Also, compost can prevent pests and other harmful insects. It helps the plants to be healthy enough to fight against them. So you do not have to use toxic pesticides. Thus, composting can be an effective way of reducing dependency on chemical application. It paves the way for a fresher environment.

Supporting Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure is “sustainable and resilient infrastructure” aiming for positive climatic changes. All the goals of green infrastructure can be attained using compost. From managing storm water by reducing soil erosion to cooling down the urban heat wave by increasing the number of plants on green roofs, compost is powerful in creating sustainable infrastructure.

supporting-green-infrastructure

This contribution also lets compost support green jobs Like planning, collection, processing, disposal, maintenance, etc. The US is developing carbon-neutral positions such as horticulturists, urban farmers, and landscape architects. The inclination of carbon-neutral futures can make the US a competitive economic force towards the sustainability of the World market. And compost will fuel this green change as a raw material and energy producer.

Reducing  Expenses

Both waste and its transportation to landfills are very expensive. The global cost of waste disposal can be $375 billion by 2025. This expense is possible to reduce to half if you manage food waste on the spot or in the backyard by composting. Many institutions of ours have saved $100,00 – $300,00 per year by composting. 

Reducing-Expenses

Composting can also reduce food waste, water, and chemical costs. It encourages us not to buy and waste excessive food. It also saves water by increasing soil water absorption and storage. Finally, composting saves huge fertilizer costs, weed remediation, pesticides, etc. It is one of the greatest economic advantages composting can offer.

Better Waste Management and Recycling

When you dispose of organic waste with noncompostable waste, it occupies landfills and pollutes the environment. Here, the environmental benefits of recycling and composting are noticeable. Composting can turn waste into black gold. You can sell and use them to produce a good deal of renewable energies like heat and electricity. 

Better-Waste-Management-and-Recycling

This energy can further meet many human and animal needs. Compost Energy, or green energy, is completely clean. You can produce them without burning coal, waste, or fuels or leaving any carbon footprint.  If we produce green energies we can serve a greater number of people. It will reduce the dependency on costly and nonrenewable energy sources.

Conclusion

Composting is one of the most impactful initiatives for bringing positive environmental changes. It facilitates a sustainable response to climate change and supports wetland biodiversity. Apart from the few preventable drawbacks of composting, it significantly improves ecology, economy, sustainability, and green practices. 

The two positive environmental impacts of composting and its byproducts make the environment’s and human beings’ functionality much easier. We should practice and encourage composting to ensure the cleanest and flourishing world. 

FAQs

Can You Use Compost to Generate Electricity?

Yes. There are several ways in which you can turn compost into thermal electricity. Composting produces a lot of heat, which you can transform into electricity. The organic matter in compost can also produce bioelectricity. This process requires mixing them with biofuels like Paddy plant microbial fuel cells. Another way is to turn compost into biogas and produce electricity from it.

Can I Heat My House with Compost?

Of course. It is one of the easiest ways to reduce the pressure on electricity and fuels. The composting pile can produce up to 141 degrees to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to make a lot of compost with a heating system and techniques like piping, coiling, etc. They will trap and circulate heat into your house.

How do You Use Compost to Heat a Greenhouse?

You can heat the greenhouse by keeping some compost bins in the area. Or you can use trench composting to ensure proper heat for the plants throughout the winter. Also, you can use an empty barrel bench to heat a greenhouse. Here, you will have to place barrels some feet apart from one another and keep a plantation bench top across them. Then, put the waste to be composted between the barrels. They will slowly heat the plants above.

What are the Three Disadvantages of Composting?

Three disadvantages of composting are high rotting time, odor, and unwanted mixtures. However, these disadvantages cannot outshine the ample advantages of composting. You have to carefully sort organic waste and ensure the right heat and moisture. Then, the composting process will be much faster, smoother, and odor-free.

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