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Organics: GreenScapes
Composting
Organic waste such as food waste and green yard waste make up 23% of the United States municipal solid waste stream. If not diverted, this material ends up in landfills where it contributes to greenhouse gases. Not only can this “waste” be diverted from the landfills, but it can be used to make compost, a valuable product.
Compost can be used in landscaping and offers many benefits. These benefits include:
- Reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides
- Creating higher agriculture yields
- Removing potentially hazardous waste from stormwater runoff and contaminated soils
- Amending soils to aid in reforestation, wetland restoration and habitat revitalization
There are many resources available to guide homeowners and landscapers to not only to utilize compost in landscaping practices, but also to create compost from kitchen scraps and yard waste.
Resources
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Adobe Reader.
- EPA Region 9 Composting Home Page
- EPA Headquarters Composting Page
- California Integrated Waste Management Board Compost and Mulch Home Page
- City of Mesa, Arizona Backyard Composting Program
- State of Hawaii Fact Sheet on Green Waste (PDF) (2 pp, 19K)
- University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Composting Education Program
- US Composting Council
- How to Compost Informational Website
- Association of Compost Producers