Compost is decayed material (fruit and vegetable waste) that is used as a fertiliser. When you put compost on plants it can feed the soil. It is a really good way to recycle kitchen and garden waste. It is really easy to build your own compost bin.

HOW IT WORKS

Composting is where materials that came from animals and plants break down. These can be things such as plant trimmings, vegetable cuttings, eggshells. Composting makes a dark crumbly soil than can be used as a fertiliser for plants. Using compost improves soil. It helps plants to grow better.

When you add organic matter to a bin micro-organisms break it down. Bigger animals like worms break down the bigger materials. The whole process takes around 3-6 months. The compost that is ready to use can be taken from the bottom of the pile.

BENEFITS OF COMPOST

Compost is good because it is a form of recycling. It is a natural way of adding nutrients to the soil. These nutrients can help plants to grow. Compost also helps a lot of plants to stand up to diseases. This means that plants will last longer. It increases soil stability and drainage. By feeding the soil it can save money. This is because you do not need to buy chemical fertilisers. It puts nutrients into the soil and stops nutrients being washed away by the rain.

HOW TO MAKE A COMPOST PILE

1. Build a compost bin out of a frame of wood. Attach this to the ground with poles. You don’t have to have a physical bin. Some people have a compost pile. But a bin makes it easier to keep it in one place.
2. The compost bin should be outside in a well drained area. It should be as far out of the wind as possible.
3. Add decayed material to the compost heap when you get it. Turn over the material every so often. This makes sure that different material is always at the top.
4. After 3-6 months compost should be made. Always take the compost from the bottom of the pile. This is because the top will still be turning to compost.

HOW COMPOST HELPS

Composting is good because it saves money and resources. It improves the soil for free. This means that we don’t have to pay for fertilisers. Fertilisers can be bad for the soil too. The chemicals in them can get into the water stream and damage human health. By composting you put natural materials back into the soil. This is good for the plants and for people.
Composting also means that waste does not go to landfill. 40% of waste in houses could be composted. If we compost landfills can last for longer. This is because less waste is filling them up. This helps to save space on the planet. It also helps the environment because less waste is transported to landfill sites. Cars and trucks are bad for the environment because they give off a gas called carbon dioxide. This pollutes the air. If we compost more then fewer trucks will be used to take waste to landfill. This means that less carbon dioxide will be given off.
When organic waste goes to landfill it breaks down differently. It breaks down without oxygen here. This means that it gives off a gas called methane. Methane is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. It is really bad for the environment and contributes to global warming. Compost makes carbon dioxide not methane. This means that it is better for the environment.

WE CAN HELP TOO

The more people that compost the better. This is because all of the impacts will help the environment. Change will happen if we all do little things. Building a compost bin is good for you and the environment.
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