Composting: a virtuous approach for everyone
Individuals: why does composting make sense for your vegetable garden?
Composting recycles organic waste into a valuable soil improver for the garden, but not only that. This green fertilizer comes from the earth and returns to it: a virtuous circle for happy soils. The result: a healthier planet!
In addition to this ethical aspect, compost helps to :
- Reduce your waste: French households produce 18 million tonnes of biowaste a year! A simple composter can process around one to two tonnes of biowaste a year.
- Improve soil quality: compost enriches soil with organic matter, improving its structure and its ability to retain water.
- Protect the environment: combat global warming by reducing methane emissions produced by landfill decomposition.
- Promote biodiversity: how about creating an ecosystem for many useful garden organisms, such as earthworms?
- Preserve natural resources: composting allows you to recycle organic waste and reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers.
- Create free, natural fertilizer: good for plants and economical, compost is THE solution.
Companies: the economic and social benefits of composting
As an employer, your role is also to make your staff aware of environmental and social issues (corporate CSR). By encouraging them to do so, you show them how to behave. By giving your employees a sense of responsibility, your company takes on a whole new dimension.
Enhancing the value of waste and composting not only improves the company’s image, it is also part of a responsible and innovative approach. In terms of savings, by reducing the volume of waste to be disposed of, the company reduces its collection and treatment bills. Isn’t that convincing?
The difference between compostable and biodegradable
This is the big question! How do you tell which materials are compostable and which are biodegradable? Every compostable material is biodegradable, but the reverse is not always true… A compostable material decomposes more rapidly and in a controlled manner (micro-organism-rich environment, temperature, humidity, etc.).
Nota Bene: to be certified compostable, a product must comply with specific standards (European standard EN 13432).
What types of materials are biodegradable?
By default, all natural materials are biodegradable. These include those of animal origin (wool, silk…) and vegetable origin (paper, cardboard, fabrics, bark, leaves, starch…). Biodegradable materials also include bioplastics – although not necessarily biosourced – such as polyhydroxyalkanoate. But what is PHA? PHA is a biodegradable substitute for traditional plastics. Produced from renewable resources, it decomposes naturally in the environment.
The 4 different composting methods
- Pile composting: easily set up in the garden
- Bin composting: easy to store and aerate
- Vermicomposting: earthworms do the work
- Surface composting: organic matter is simply spread on the ground
Composting: how to sort without worry?
What waste is allowed in compost?
- Kitchen: fruit and vegetable peelings and scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags (without staples), crushed eggshells
- Garden: grass clippings, dead leaves, dead flowers, small branches
- Paper and cardboard: unprinted paper towels, tissues, unprinted corrugated cardboard
- Straw and hay: ideal for improving compost structure!
- Wood ash: in small quantities, as it is rich in minerals
- Animal hair: decomposes slowly but provides nitrogen
What types of waste are not recommended for composting?
- Meat and fish: attract pests and can generate unpleasant odours
- Oily or greasy waste: can disrupt the composting process
- Dairy products: they can become acidic and slow down the composting process
- Diseased plants: diseases can spread through the compost
- Metals and glass: they are not biodegradable and must be recycled
- Plastics: even if recyclable, bioplastic products must be certified
- Chemical treatments: can contaminate compost
Let’s conclude with a few tips for successful composting
The process requires air and humidity to allow microorganisms to feed and create compost. It is therefore advisable to alternate between green materials (nitrogenous) and brown materials (carbonaceous). This variation provides nitrogen and carbon to structure the compost. As for aeration, turn the compost regularly to avoid unpleasant odors and provide oxygen for the micro-organisms. Finally, compost should be moist but not soggy. The rest is up to you.
Composting, often called “recycling by nature”, is an ecological and effective way of reducing our environmental impact. As an individual and/or professional, this method combines ethics and savings. Between biodegradable and compostable products, be careful what you buy and what you throw away.
