Arthur E. Wright has composted a total of 482lbs of composting so far this year - the most of any of our 7 Oaks Schools!
Composting is the most efficient way to recycle food and yard waste. As much as 60% of all garbage is non-recyclable paper, food and yard waste, which can all be composted. Landfills are costly and terrible for the environment. Anything that we can do to reduce the amount of garbage in landfills saves money, conserves natural resources, and improves public health. When food and yard waste rots, it stinks. That smell is methane, which is a greenhouse gas 24 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Put simply: composting reduces smog, improves public health, and improves air quality. Compost provides an alternative to chemical fertilizers, which can be used by local farmers. So now you are what you eat and what you don’t eat. It’s a beautiful cycle.
Compost can suppress plant disease, reduce pests, and eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. If you can reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides, you create healthier plants, healthier wildlife, and keep poisonous chemicals out of our rivers, streams, and drinking water.
Flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables as well as your lawn all benefit from compost’s nutrient rich materials. The best part is that year over year your plants will keep getting healthier whereas with chemical fertilizers, you will have to keep adding more and more to make up for dying soil.
Facts come from:
Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/compost/
Penn State University: http://extension.psu.edu/plants/gardening/news/2013/some-composting-facts