THE BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING

1. COMMUNITY COMPOSTING
By Chris Vetrano

2. ZAMBOANGUITA COMMUNITY
COMPOSTING PROJECT
I will be implementing the
techniques in this slideshow,
in Zamboanguita, a community in
Negros Oriental Philippines. I met
with the Environmental
Director Primitivo Eaingcoy and
discussed my plan. He was very
helpful with ideas and suggested
the local radio station for free
advertising.

3. Intergrated Solid Waste Mangement Program
Zamboanguita has
an Integrated Solid
Waste Management
Program which is
great and this
project will be a
wonderful addition
to their program.

4. BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING
Compost Improves Garden Soil by Increasing its Organic Matter.
Replenishes the Soil Healthy Plants
1 Compost has the ability to help
regenerate poor soils.
5 Compost has a good balance of major and
micro nutrients
2 Helps Water Drainage 6 Compost is Renewable
Improves soil drainage. Organic matter is It is a sustainable product unlike most commercial
especially beneficial in heavy clay or light, fertilizers.
sandy soils.
3 Eliminates Waste Removal
Less garbage going to landfills equals less fuel
7 Helps Prevent Pollution
Avoids the production of methane and leachate
to get it there. formulation in the landfills.
4 Adds Microorganisms
Microorganisms are what decompose materials
8 Economic Benefits
Reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and
to make compost. To do their work they need pesticides
.
carbon sources for food, and nitrogen for
proteins.

5. COMPOSTING PROCESS
Compost is decomposed organic material.
Composting can happen anywhere, from a tiny city apartment to
a country farm. Many municipalities now allow (or even require)
residents to set aside their yard waste and kitchen scraps for city
composting programs. The organic waste is properly treated and
broken down into rich compost, which is generally offered for sale
back to the community.
Composting food and yard waste helps to complete a natural
cycle of life. Composting occurs naturally everywhere. As plants
grow and eventually die, their nutrients are made available again
by returning to the soil.

6. It’s Simple to Make Compost
Only two steps to make a happy planet!
Collect your yard Next put it into the You have just made
debris. Branches, compost pile. There the planet very happy.
leaves, any non are many different You have taken the fist
contaminated plant ways to make a steps in help create a
material. compost pile. I prefer sustainable planet.
a wire cage.

7. WHAT CAN BE COMPOSTED
Nitrogen-Rich and Carbon-Rich
Materials OK to use Undesirable materials
Nitrogen-rich materials May contribute pests (weeds, plant diseases)
Grass clippings when inadequately composted
Seaweed and aquatic plants (washed to remove salt)
Weedy, persistent plants
Fruit and vegetable trimmings
Kitchen scraps like coffee grounds, egg shells, leftover Diseased plants
bread, rice, etc. Human health hazard
Fresh, leafy garden trimmings Dog or cat feces, used kitty litter
Carbon sources May attract flies, rats, animals
Chipped trees
Oils
Twigs, small branches from trees and shrubs (chopped)
Sawdust (from untreated wood) Dairy products
Stems of fibrous grasses Meat or bones of animals, poultry, fish
Palm fronds (chopped or shredded) Are not biodegradable
Newspaper or white paper (shredded) Metals, glass
Rubber, plastics

8. Composting vs. Burning Please don’t
A Sustainable Alternative burn your
garden debris
or plastics.
COMPOSTING
Compost improves garden soil by BURNING
increasing its organic matter. This, in By burning debris and plastics you are
turn, improves soil drainage. contaminating the air with chemicals.
 Organic matter is especially beneficial These chemicals float through the air into
in heavy clay or light, sandy soils. everyone's lungs.
 Organic matter reduces soil crusting  350 times more carcinogenic chemicals
and helps soil hold water and nutrients. than tobacco smoke. Burning can cause
 The compost also supplies a small or worsen symptoms of asthma,
amount of nutrients. emphysema, bronchitis, and lung cancer.
 Compost can be used as a mulch  Burning yard debris also poses a serious
around plants, too. Mulch helps
wildfire risk.
conserve moisture.
 Outdoor fires such as these are the no. 1
cause of wildfires triggered by people.

9. Burning Debris & Plastics
Serious Health Risks
Smoke from burning household trash, including plastic containers, is more
toxic than the smoke from burning clean wood. Studies have found
dioxins, arsenic, mercury, chromium, PCBs, lead, and other dangerous
chemicals in smoke from burning household trash. Serious health effects
can be caused by harmful chemicals from burning items commonly found
in household trash. Protecting your health is worth proper waste disposal
and there are alternatives to burning.

10. REPLENISHING THE SOIL
Recycling nature to preserve nature
Composting helps control soil
erosion. In Europe, compost is
mixed with water and then splattered
over the slopes to prevent the soil
from eroding. As a matter of fact
organic compost proved to work just
fine when other methods for
prevention of soil erosion failed.
Composts help increase the cation
exchange capacity immensely . This
allow the soil to hold their nutrients
longer and enables the plants to
thrive on them better by preventing
leaching.

11. Layering Compost
Layering is the recommended method for starting a compost pile. Layering is similar to
making lasagna, as you add thin, uniform layers of materials in a repeated pattern. Once
the compost pile is active, you can incorporate new material into the center of the pile or
you can mix it in when turning the pile.
Start your compost pile on bare ground, removing the sod or existing vegetation. Contact
with the soil will provide bacteria needed for composting. Do not place the pile on
concrete or asphalt. You may also place a pallet underneath the pile if poor drainage
beneath the pile is a concern.
Layer 1. Add a 6-8 inch layer of organic matter, both brown and green. Do not pack the
materials in, as this limits air flow and oxygen needed by bacteria.
Layer 2. Add a starter material, such as animal manures (see the list of acceptable types),
fertilizers, or commercial starters. These materials help to heat up the pile by providing
nitrogen for the bacteria and other microorganisms.
Select one of the following:
• 1-2 inch layer of fresh manure from a grain eating animal, OR
• 1 cup of 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 fertilizer per 25 square feet, OR
• a commercial starter (follow label directions)
Layer 3. Add a 1-2 inch layer of top soil or finished garden compost. This is done to
introduce the microorganisms to the pile. Avoid using soil recently treated with
insecticides and also avoid using sterile potting soil.

12. Get In Tune With Nature
Composting is one of the best things
you can do, individually, to create a
sustainable planet. The benefits of
composting are many and its easy to
do. Take the next step and start a
compost pile today!