Waste Remediation

Biodegradable waste is a misplaced resource.

Every day, millions of tons of waste are generated and disposed of in landfills and incinerators.  When dumped in high concentration, pollutants and dangerous bacteria find their way back into the water stream killing wildlife, destroying soil and causing significant human health risks.  When burned, pollutants are released into the atmosphere and the air we breathe. 

Ironically, approximately 70% of this waste is biodegradable and full of valuable nutrients which, if properly processed, can be returned to the soils they came from.  

Nature itself is sustainable.   When living organisms die, they decompose and become a nutrient source for other organisms so that they can flourish.  Due to the superimposition of man’s ever increasing consumption, nature on its own cannot keep up with the magnitude of waste generated.

As one of earths’ oldest processes, composting is the most effective means of stabilizing and converting biodegradable waste.  The rich byproduct is therefore safe and replenishes nature so that it can sustain a growing population.  If this process is implemented properly, it will not only improve the environment and reduce pollution, it can replace an expensive and hazardous waste stream with a very valuable product.   The compost can also serve as a new and lucrative revenue stream. 

Compost Use Benefits

Common practice today is to use expensive chemical fertilizers and enhancer's to improve soil fertility. Although the results may be immediately gratifying, there lurks real dangers and longer-term ramifications.  Chemically fertilized crops and soils require excessive watering - further contributing to water pollution.   This practice also renders soil barren after some time.  Furthermore, fruits and vegetables grown in this manner also lack nutrition. A much more sensible and environmentally sound use of chemical fertilizers is to apply them as nutritional enhancers only when absolutely necessary.

The main source of soil vitality must come from biologically rich compost. Not only is this less expensive, it also puts vibrant biological life and organic nutrients back into the soil.  Through a new awareness, demand is increasing for a reliable and abundant source of consistent compost.

The following are just a few key properties of compost:

Source of nitrogen in organic form - Compost is a superior source of nitrogen for soil because compost-nitrogen is in organic form and must be mineralized before it has the potential to leach and contaminate ground water.  These organic reserves release nutrients incrementally over many years.
Source of essential elements and micronutrients – Compost supplies other plant essential elements such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur and micronutrients depending on the nature of feed stocks. Humic substances in compost makes nutrients readily available to plants through the process of chelation.
A great soil amendment agent - Compost is more than fertilizer for soil. It acts as a soil amendment agent because it imparts soil structure and tilth by lowering bulk densities, by increasing permeability and porosity and by introducing microorganisms which produce "cementing agents" helpful in binding soil particles together into aggregates. When amended with compost, clayey soils are protected against compaction and sandy soils are more able to retain water and nutrients.
Improves soil structure – Compost improves soil structure which in turn resists erosion, improves water retention and decreases frequency of irrigation.
Improves Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) - CEC refers to the negatively charged exchange sites located on soil particles. Organic matter has a particularly high CEC and when incorporated into soil, helps improve soil's ability to retain plant nutrients. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium, for example, can all be held on exchange sites. Compost can also help a soil retain fertilizer, pesticides and herbicide, thus decreasing their loss by erosion, leaching and runoff.

The above properties make compost effective for the following applications:

Suppressing plant diseases and pests
Promoting higher yields of agricultural crops
Reducing or eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers
Conserving water
Facilitating reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils
Aiding in erosion control
Acting as a mitigater for pollution