Uses of a Municipal Composting Program

Uses of a Municipal Composting Program

There are a growing number of cities that are using municipal composting programs to reduce the amount of yard debris and other organic matter that is sent to the landfill. While you may be aware of the new bins that may have been delivered to you, it may not be apparent what they do with all that material.

From a composting site, the materials is usually fed into a large machine that shreds all the material into a reasonably uniform grind that will decompose quickly. From there it will go to facilities where the piles will be mechanically turned until they're "done." The resulting product is a fluffy, organic compound that smells like dirt because it is the organic compound of a good quality soil.

From here, this can be used as a soil amendment and fertilizer. Many cities use the compost from their programs to keep parks and city buildings fertilized and mulched. Some cities make the compost freely available to anyone who can haul it. Still others bag it and sell it in an effort to generate revenue to pay for the whole process.

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