YouSustain

Action - Composting

20% of members are reducing their footprint with this action!

Composting is the process of storing organic waste and letting it decompose into compost, which can be used as a fertilizer. There are many benefits of composting, including reducing the load on landfills, returning nutrients food chain, and reducing greenhouse has emissions.

The reduction in GHG emissions come from several areas. First, it is believed that organic waste in a landfill is a net emitter of GHG. Compost is considered a carbon sink, meaning it absorbs GHG. Second, by using compost as a fertilizer no energy and emissions are required to manufacture and transport a commercial fertilizr.

Known benefits and costs

Annual CO2 Savings100 - 350 kg
 220 - 770 lbs
Annual Cash Savings$0 - $100
Initial Cost$0 - $100
Time to pay for itself0.0 - 0.0 years
CO2 saved per year per initial dollar invested1.00 - 350.00 kg

* These value ranges were taken from many sources including product documentation, published reports, and the reference material linked here.

Reference Links

The site admins voted these articles very good references
Composting Info Sheet
Reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost - why it's important!
Eco-Landscaping Tips
How to Make Compost, a Composting Guide

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