Composting is a controlled, aerobic (oxygen-required) process. That is a mixture of organic materials (for example food waste, dried leaves, etc.) into a nutrient-rich soil amendment with is used as plant fertilizer and to improve soils’ physical, chemical, and biological properties. Composting is nature’s way of recycling. It is one big way we can take to reduce our trash, address climate change, and build healthy soil.

Composting can help the environment by preventing/reducing erosion, reducing runoff, and establishing vegetation. Compost improves downstream water quality by retaining pollutants such as heavy metals, nitrogen, phosphorus, oil and grease, fuels, herbicides, and pesticides. Composting can help plants by improving the structure and health of the soil, it helps the soil retain moisture and nutrients and it also attracts organisms to the soil that would help your plants grow. Composting can also help climate change by reducing greenhouse gas improving carbon sequestration in the soil and by preventing methane emissions through aerobic decomposition.

You can compost at home in your backyard! There are many ways you can compost one of the most common ways is to compost in your backyard by having a bin and in the bin dumping carbon-rich materials, nitrogen-rich materials, water, and air. Carbon-rich materials (“browns”, for example, dry leaves, plant stalks, and twigs) will provide food for the microorganisms. Nitrogen-rich materials (“greens” for example grass clippings and food scraps) heat the pile to create ideal conditions for the material to break down. Water will provide moisture. Then when you add these ingredients, you will have to wait for two weeks or more.

If everyone in the United States composted, it would be equal to removing 7.8 million cars from the road. Let’s compost, and save the world from its downfall!