High carbon materials tend to be brown and dry. Carbon is needed for energy the microbial oxidation of carbon produces the heat required for other parts of the composting process.The process involves decomposing organic material into a humus-like material, known as compost, which is a good fertilizer for plants.Ĭomposting organisms require four equally important ingredients to work effectively: It can therefore be used to recycle organic material. For example, compost can also be used for land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and landfill cover.Ĭomposting is an aerobic method of decomposing organic solid wastes. Composting offers an environmentally superior alternative to using organic material for landfill because composting reduces anaerobic methane emissions, and provides economic and environmental co-benefits. Aerobic bacteria and fungi manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide, and ammonium.Ĭomposting is an important part of waste management, since food and other compostable materials make up about 20% of waste in landfills, and these materials take longer to biodegrade in the landfill. The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water, and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture in a process that uses open piles or " windrows." Fungi, earthworms, and other detritivores further break up the organic material. However, composting can also take place as a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. Materials are wetted to break them down into humus, a process that occurs for months. Browns are more woody materials that are rich in carbon, such as stalks, paper, and wood chips. Greens are materials that are rich in nitrogen such as leaves, grass, and food scraps. The benefits of compost include providing nutrients to crops as fertilizer, acting as a soil conditioner, increasing the humus or humic acid contents of the soil, and introducing beneficial colonies of microbes that help to suppress pathogens in the soil.Īt the simplest level, composting requires gathering a mix of 'greens' (green waste) and 'browns' (brown waste).
Compost improves soil fertility in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture, and organic farming, reducing dependency on commercial chemical fertilizers.
The resulting mixture is rich in plant nutrients and beneficial organisms, such as worms and fungal mycelium. It is commonly prepared by decomposing plant and food waste and recycling organic materials.
Community-level composting in a rural area in GermanyĬompost is a mixture of ingredients used to fertilize and improve the soil.
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