Why You Should Start Composting

Over the past couple of years, composting has risen tremendously in popularity. If you haven’t tried it, it’s nonetheless caught your attention at the very least. Everyone from homeowners to restaurants, businesses, and universities seem to be partaking in this up-and-coming recycling method – and for good reason! If you’re on the fence about composting, keep reading. We’ll dive into what it is and some of the advantages this recycling method can offer to those in the hemp industry. 

What is Composting?

Composting is a process that involves the recycling of organic matter into fertilizer that can enhance plant and soil health. During this process, material, including food scraps and grass clippings, is naturally broken down by fungus and bacteria and formed into composting material. Although many materials can be composted, there are still a handful of things you should never throw into a compost, such as meat, bones, eggs, dairy products, cooking oils, and coffee pods, and more. 

What are the Benefits of Composting?

Whether you’re in the cannabis field looking for more sustainable disposal methods or just searching for ways to promote a healthier soil mix for your crops, there are more than enough reasons to look into composting. Below, we’ll outline some of the more well-known benefits it can provide. 

Reduces Waste

Organic wastes, including food and yard wastes, compromise from 20 to 50 percent of what we throw away. Unfortunately, much of this waste makes its way into landfills, where it releases methane gas into the atmosphere. Advancements in technology have been able to trap and capture this gas using gas collection systems, fortunately. However, it’s still a huge problem. While it’s not always possible to compost every single material you pitch out, composting may still reduce your overall waste material by a decent percentage and help you keep harmful materials out of landfills. 

Improves Soil and Crop Health

At its core, composting offers your plant material the rich soil nutrients needed to grow and stay healthy. Many have noted the following benefits after continued use:

• Better soil tilth

• Water preservation

• Enhanced plant root depth

• Buffers soil pH

• Reduced erosion

• Nutrient retention

Depending on the amount of compost material used, your crop rotations, frequency, and other factors, you may see varied results. Nevertheless, you’ll more than likely witness some benefits appear gradually and over an extended period of time.

Promotes Sustainability

As mentioned previously, composting can significantly help keep unwanted waste out of landfills. Organic waste often holds a lot of water and is heavy to transport from one location to another. Therefore, cutting back on landfill waste ultimately helps cut back on fuel and energy consumption, as there’s less waste being transported. 

Cuts Back on Water Consumption 

Composting absorbs water relatively easily and slowly yields it to plants for consumption, reducing the number of times you need to water your plant soil. It also can function similarly to a mulch and prevent water from evaporating. Over time, you’ll likely cut back on your water usage and water bill. 

This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2021.