Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Compost Food Waste

Composting is one of the most efficient ways to send nutrients back into the soil while reducing the amount of garbage in landfills.

It may seem trivial, but it’s an imperative way to conserve natural resources, improve public health, and save money.

Currently, more than 55% of organic matter is sent to landfills, out of which 20–30% could easily be composted.

Making compost prevents non-recyclable paper, food scraps, and other organic waste from accumulating in landfills and emitting toxic greenhouse gases like methane.

Composting food waste rather than tossing it away is also one of the best things you can do to live sustainably.

It is much simpler than you might think. Many people falsely believe that composting can be done only if your home has a garden!

All it takes is a compost bin, not a sprawling backyard or outdoor area. But we’ll get to that in a bit.

Now that you know how easy composting can be, here are 5 compelling reasons why you should compost food waste, starting today!

Enhances Soil Quality

Clumpy, dry growing soil is ineffective for growing. However, compost can help restore the nutrients in your soil, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P)& potassium (K).

Plants use these nutrients for growth and photosynthesis. Adding compost also helps retain water for plant use.

It also improves soil quality, supporting plant roots and reducing erosion.

Furthermore, it provides nutrients and organic materials that enhance plant growth and result in higher yields.

Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Organic waste, such as food scraps (kitchen waste, fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells) and yard waste (coffee grounds, wood chips), does not degrade properly in a landfill.

As a result, organic waste in landfills releases about 50% methane, a gas that has a far greater global warming consequence than carbon dioxide.

Contrarily, composting imitates nature’s decomposition process by enabling organic matter to decompose aerobically.

Thus, it significantly lowers the overall waste we dump into landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Reduces Landfill Spaces

Due to the increase in population in urban cities and towns, landfills are generating tonnes of waste.

And with each new complex and tower, each household generates more waste, resulting in a shortage of landfills.

A large portion of what we discard ends up in a landfill, where it takes up precious space.

As landfills are costly and terrible for the environment, a common misconception is that organic waste will simply decompose in a landfill.

This is accurate, although it takes a lot longer.

Moreover, the essential nutrients that are created when organic matter breaks down simply go to waste and should instead be recycled back into the soil.

Reduces the Need for Chemical Fertilizers

While fertilizers supply your plants with nutrients, compost not only improves plant health and growth but adds other benefits, too.

It can improve soil structure and achieve better drainage, aeration, and moisture retention.

It also contains beneficial microorganisms and microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, which help decompose organic material.

The presence of microorganisms is vital because they aerate the soil, which speeds up the composting process, converts nitrogen to a usable form, and prevents some plant diseases.

It also reduces pests and eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.

By reducing the dependency on pesticides and herbicides, you may produce healthier plants free of artificial ingredients or chemicals!

Recycles Kitchen Waste

Food waste is a precious resource!

The parts of kitchen waste that are discarded contain vital vitamins and minerals that, when added to the soil, are recycled back into the ecosystem and are absorbed by the following crop plantings.

Composting can save up to 30% of kitchen waste from being thrown away.

If you segregate waste mindfully, your home has less garbage, and who knows, you may not even need to buy as many garbage bags or take out the trash as frequently!

Now that you understand the many reasons that make composting a much-needed practice, here are 4 basic steps to get you started with composting:

• Include “green” elements, such as kitchen scraps
• Include “brown” elements, such as dead leaves
• Provide water
• Turn the pile over occasionally

You can compost outside if you have a suitable, dry, shady location near a water source.

However, if you do not have space, you can compost indoors with a special compost bin that you can buy from a hardware store.

The right way to compost indoors is to maintain your pile and keep track of what you dispose of.

An appropriately managed compost bin will not attract pests or mice and will not stink. Within two to five weeks, your compost should be ready.

If you are smelling a foul odor from your compost, it usually means that it hasn’t been made properly and you may need to consult a composting guide and give it another try.

To encourage beginners to take up composting, we at Organica Biotech have designed a formulation called Soilmate that would help speed up the composting process and motivate people to compost rather than throw away their kitchen waste.

Soilmate contains odour-busting technology that can suppress foul odors and speed up the composting process by supporting solid waste management.

The natural herbs in Soilmate inhibit harmful bacteria & repel disease-carrying flies and maggots, keeping your compost hygienic and disease-free.

Composting is good for the community, the soil, and the environment.

With the right resources at hand and the will to make a difference one step at a time, you too can cut down on food waste, cut down on how much you spend on synthetic additives, and do your part in ensuring that nothing is wasted in nature!