Compost

Compost bin

Compost is a mixture of decaying organic matter (food scraps, yard and garden trimmings, manure, etc), mature compost is also referred to as humus. Rich, dark humus replaces organic materials depleted from soil when growing flowers, vegetables, fruits or grass. It helps soil hold water, provides nutrients for healthier plants, and produces more vegetables from your garden.

What is soil?

People frequently think black soil is a good healthy soil. This may be true, but the real hallmark of good soil is the organic, or humus, content. Soil is composed of ground up rock, humus, air and water. When plants grow micro-organisms convert the humus into food for the plants, so harvesting the vegetables, fruits or flowers actually results in reducing the humus content of the soil. Humus from the compost process can be used to replace the humus lost from growing vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Why is composting important?

Food scraps for composting

If food waste and other compostable items are not composted, they are managed in a landfill or incinerator. However, when these items are composted they become a useful product that serves as a valuable soil amendment. When compost is added to soil it reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides and allows for more efficient use of water. Composting is essentially recycling food waste – like traditional recycling composting turns a waste product into something useful.

Between 28 and 38 percent of all waste is compostable depending on the type of composting program. Because so much waste is compostable, composting has the potential to dramatically reduce the amount of trash managed.

How can I compost?

Turning a compost pile

Currently there are three different types of composting that Minnesotan’s may use to manage food waste. There are subtle differences with each, but all three offer environmental benefits over throwing away food waste.

Every Minnesota resident can choose to compost at home by establishing a backyard compost bin or a worm compost bin. Many Minnesotans also have access to large-scale composting at home, at work or when they attend visit a venue that offers composting.

Large-scale composting is managed by professional composters at a facility that closely monitors temperature, carbon and nitrogen ratios and tests for pathogens and other items of concern. Because of these controls, large-scale composters can accept some items that do not work well with backyard or worm composting processes. The large-scale composters can accept meat, bones, dairy, compostable plastics and non-recyclable paper (paper towels, napkins, paper plates) – these items are not recommended for backyard or worm composters.

Composting at home, work and when out-and-about

Food waste is approximately 14 percent of our household waste and yard waste accounts for an additional 13 percent of the waste stream. A typical household that composts and recycles can reduce their trash volume by more than 50 percent.

Anyone can compost at home by establishing a backyard compost bin or starting a worm bin. Both backyard compost bin and a worm bin accept fruit and vegetable scraps, plant trimmings, lint, and hair. Materials that are unacceptable are fats, oils greases, vegetables cooked in oils or sauces, dairy, weeds that have gone to seed, dog manure or any other kind of manure.

In some communities residents have access to curbside collection of compost. Check with your city or hauler to see if this service is offered in your area. This type of composting is done on a large-scale and the food waste is managed by professional composters. Their process allows them to take items like meat, bones , dairy and non-recyclable paper that would be problematic in a worm or backyard compost bins. Many events and public spaces have implemented this type of composting program – you may see it on your next visit to the Science Museum or when you attend the Rock the Garden Concert at the Walker. This type of composting makes sense for many businesses as well, particularly those that generate large amounts of food waste.

For more information visit our backyard composting, indoor composting, or large-scale composting webpages.