Advantages of a Compost Pile

About Composting

Composting is one of the easiest activities that you and your family can undertake for green living. Other aspects of green living, such as installing solar panels or driving a hybrid vehicle require additional finances, but composting is economical – producing natural, organic material from everyday garbage.

How it Works

A compost pile is simply a heap of compostable items that you collect in one area and turn over periodically. Bins may help keep the pile under control and keep any curious animals from nibbling, while compost tumblers make the turning process simpler. The following are some examples of items that can be composted:

• Kitchen scraps
• Coffee grounds
• Lawn and garden trimmings
• Leaves
• Non-glossy paper
• Untreated wood shavings and sawdust

Over time, and with proper aeration, the items in your compost decompose – with a little help from a variety of worms, insects, bacteria and fungi. Working together, all of these helpers break down what were once apple peels, coffee grounds, leaves and other items, into a rich “humus,” an earthy soil loaded with nutrients. Having the right mixture of “green” (kitchen scraps, leaves) and “brown” (leaves, wood chips) items in your compost pile will create compost that breaks down quickly and doesn’t create an unpleasant odor.

Advantages of a Compost Pile

Whether you decide to use a compost pile or a compost bin, there are a number of good reasons for starting your compost today, including:

• It’s easy – The decomposing food does the work for you.
• It’s environmentally sound – Consider the reduction of waste in your own kitchen garbage when you compost, and you get an idea of how a composting nation can reduce garbage in city dumps and landfills.
• Your kitchen smells better – If the fruit and vegetable peelings move to the compost bin, you won’t have the decomposing smell filling your kitchen.
• It’s inexpensive – If you choose to do a compost pile, there is no equipment necessary to purchase; for a minimal cost, you can build your own bin or purchase one.
• It can save you money – If you have to pay per bag for a garbage service, you will be paying for less garbage to be hauled away.
• You create a rich fertilizer – In a small amount of time, your composted scraps become a nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer that can be sifted and used to improve your garden, landscaping and grass.

Disadvantages of Composting

While the advantages of composting far outweigh the disadvantages, you may consider the following to be (minor) inconveniences:

It’s easier to simply throw away scraps in the garbage. True, but consider the impact you’re making on the environment with those few extra steps to your backyard compost pile or bin. Try using a compost bucket or a big bowl in your refrigerator to collect scraps – you can minimize your trips to the compost pile, while keeping insects out of your collection of scraps.

Animals may get into the compost. An open compost pile may attract unwanted visitors, but there are a number of homemade bin solutions and bins available for purchase that can eliminate interested animals.

The cold weather slows down the process – is it worth it? In colder climates, composting during the winter months can become more involved because the snow covers the bin or pile. By utilizing a compost bin, you can keep the compost under wraps during the cold months and continue to turn over your mix. The heat of the decomposing organic material is astounding – warm enough to melt snow, in fact. Although the composting process does slow during the winter, the process can continue.

Won’t it smell? While this is a concern for many, composting (when done correctly) only has an earthy odor.

Final Thoughts

Like all aspects of green living, the smallest contribution in your home can make an environmental impact – the advantages of a compost pile make a strong case for encouraging more people to reduce waste through this easy activity.

Visit the Beginner’s Composting Guide or EPA’s Composting Page for more information about getting started.