Why Composting Matters

Have you ever wondered why composting matters? In this article, we explore the significant benefits of composting, not just from the perspective of industrial facilities like In-Vessel Composting (IVC), Open Windrow Composting (OWC), and Anaerobic Digestion (AD), but also why it’s crucial for your home or business. By understanding and implementing composting practices, you can contribute to a healthier environment, reduce waste, and even cut down costs.

Understanding Composting and Its Importance

Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as leaves, food scraps, and garden waste, into a valuable fertiliser that can enrich soil and support plant growth. This process not only helps in reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills but also plays a crucial role in creating a sustainable organic cycle.

Industrial Composting: IVC, OWC, and AD

Large-scale composting facilities like IVC, OWC, and AD are designed to handle substantial amounts of organic waste generated by urban populations and industries. These facilities are crucial for managing waste efficiently and sustainably:

- In-Vessel Composting (IVC) involves enclosed environments where temperature and moisture levels are controlled, speeding up the composting process and ensuring that even meat and dairy products are broken down effectively.

- Open Windrow Composting (OWC) is suitable for garden and park wastes, including branches, grass, and leaves. This method involves placing organic waste in long rows, which are regularly turned to introduce oxygen, crucial for composting.

- Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a process that breaks down organic materials in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas that can be used to generate electricity and heat, alongside compost.

These technologies not only help in waste management but also contribute to renewable energy production and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Composting at Home and in Your Business

While industrial facilities handle large volumes, composting at home or within your business is equally important. It’s an effective way to manage organic waste, such as kitchen scraps and paper products, reducing your carbon footprint and minimising the reliance on chemical fertilisers.

- At Home: Starting a compost bin can significantly cut down the amount of household waste while providing excellent soil conditioner for your garden.

- In Your Business: For businesses, especially in the food and beverage sector, composting can be a game-changer. Reducing waste disposal costs and creating a positive eco-friendly brand image are just some of the benefits.

Why Composting is a Key to Environmental Sustainability

Composting is more than just a method for managing organic waste - it's a key strategy in our ongoing efforts to preserve the environment. When we compost organic materials such as food scraps, leaves, and garden waste, we transform what would otherwise be landfill fodder into nutrient-rich soil that can greatly enhance plant growth and restore vitality to depleted soils.

One of the most significant environmental benefits of composting is its ability to reduce the volume of waste that ends up in landfills. Organic waste in landfills decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen), a process that produces methane - a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential many times greater than carbon dioxide. By composting organic waste, we not only prevent the generation of methane but also reduce the overall strain on landfill sites, which are increasingly expensive and difficult to site and manage due to environmental regulations and community opposition.

Moreover, composting supports soil health in many ways. The process creates a soil amendment rich in organic matter and beneficial microorganisms. This compost can help improve soil structure, which enhances the soil's ability to retain water and nutrients. For agricultural uses, this means healthier crops that are more resilient to diseases and pests, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which can be harmful to the environment. In gardens and urban settings, using compost can aid in plant health and reduce runoff, mitigating the risk of pollutants entering our waterways.

Another less discussed but important aspect of composting is its role in carbon sequestration. Composting organic materials converts carbon into a stable form that is stored in the soil for longer periods. This sequestered carbon is not only removed from the atmosphere, where it would contribute to global warming, but it also enriches the soil, promoting healthier plant growth and further carbon uptake through photosynthesis, creating a positive feedback loop for the environment.

How Wastewise Helps

At Wastewise, we are committed to promoting sustainable waste management practices, including advanced composting techniques and encouraging local communities and businesses to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Our services are designed to guide and support sustainable waste solutions that contribute to a healthier planet.

Our strategically located composting facilities utilise advanced technologies to efficiently and cost effectively convert over 200,000 tonnes of biowaste per annum into a range of high quality, industry certified organic compost products. With over 20 years’ experience in composting, we are continually improving our process, increasing capacity and reducing costs whilst maximising our positive impact on the environment.

As well as composting, we also recycle and recover value from a wide range of waste streams including wood, paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, glass, mixed recyclables, street sweepings, inert and residual waste. Our innovative approach enables us to achieve an overall recycling and recovery rate of over 99%.

If you are interested in starting your own compost bin, check out our article How To Make A Compost Bin: A Comprehensive Guide for Sustainable Gardening.

If you are a business or local authority and would like to discuss our services, please don’t hesitate to Get In Touch.