Why Compost?
Composting - or the natural process of recycling organic matter such as food scraps and transforming it into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil and plants - is a great way to recycle the waste we generate at home. It also provides a range of environmental and societal benefits.
Reduce your waste
Did you know 15-20% of Sioux Fall’s landfill is made up waste that is compostable? Not only does composting allow us to reduce our landfill volume but our household level waste as well.
Enhance the soil
Compost increases soil fertility and suppresses plant diseases, improves soil structure, increases microbial activity and water retention capacity.
Protect the climate
Food scraps in landfills and incinerators generates pollutants like methane but food scraps converted to compost actually sequesters carbon.
Grow your community
Community composting encourages people to engage with each other on how to reduce their “foodprint” and at a larger scale offers opportunities for employment and volunteering.
The above is adapted from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a national nonprofit organization working to strengthen local economies, and redirect waste into local recycling, composting, and reuse industries. It is reprinted here with permission.