How do compost bins help the environment

Some states have bans on landfill disposal of organic materials like wasted food. The U. Composting Council compiles information on state compost regulations. The Clean Water Act covers land application, surface disposal, and combustion of biosolids sewage sludge as well as biosolids composting. EPA published federal standards for the use or disposal of sewage sludge, which can be found in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations CFR in part Many of the standards in this rule may apply to municipal solid waste compost.

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The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. New Seasons Markets operates 12 stores in the Pacific Northwest and strives to support the local economy and sustainable agriculture. Since , New Seasons Market has increased diversion of organic materials, including food waste to compost by percent. Find out more in the case study about New Seasons Market's food donation and composting initiatives.

Petco Park, home to the San Diego Padres, implemented a food composting program in helping the venue to save money on its trash disposal bills.

Learn more from the presentation on their efforts. Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont initiated a food waste composting program in Cooked foods are said to attract rats, however this can be avoided by digging the compost bin into the ground, ensuring that it has a well-fitted lid, and- if rats really are a problem- burying food waste under a thin layer of the compost that is already in the bin.

Many items of decaying food apparently smell bad when they decay, however this can also be remedied, as compost that smells requires more dry materials, e. Composting requires very little work and resources and it has a huge positive impact on the environment. It creates excellent new resources, and in my experience it can encourage even the most stubborn anti-green individual to take part in making a difference.

So what are you waiting for? Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please support us! You must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Overall, compost makes major contributions to soil health, increasing the chance of plant success. Spreading compost on crops minimizes the need for chemical fertilizers, the U. Environmental Protection Agency says.

Compost not only provides the basic nutrients supplied by chemical fertilizers -- nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus -- it also provides a wide array of trace minerals and other nutrients not available in chemical fertilizers. Less use of chemical fertilizers reduces their associated environmental problems, including water pollution. Nitrogen from these fertilizers causes algae blooms in lakes and the ocean, radically altering the coastal ecosystem.

Chemical fertilizers also leach into groundwater and contaminate drinking water wells. Skip to main content. Environmental reasons New research has found that almost half of the food waste in the average rubbish bin could have been composted. Benefits for your garden Your compost is a nutrient-rich food product for your garden and will help improve soil structure, maintain moisture levels, and keep your soil's pH balance in check while helping to suppress plant disease. Share page Tweet.