The Benefits of Composting

Check out why composting is the best thing for you, your garden and the planet. Plus, get tips on how to get started on your own compost bin.

July 02, 2021

By: Juliet Margulies

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Let's Talk Compost

Everyone seems to be talking about composting, but why? At first glance, it may seem like any other garden hack, but it’s so much more. Composting is a fun way to get a beautiful, healthy garden, while also doing your part to save the planet.

From: Andrew Grossman

Reduce, Reuse and …

Recycle! Composting is a wonderful way to recycle. Give those old scraps of newspaper a newfound purpose. Wood shavings, fallen leaves, old tea bags and coffee grounds can all serve yet another purpose in your garden.

Learn More: 25 Things You Can Compost (Some May Surprise You!)

Provides Soil With Nutrients

Those summer salad scraps will do wonders for your garden, filling your soil with ample nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients will help your plants grow tall and fruitful. The organic material in compost also retains water, keeping it as a source for your plants to use as they need. Like drinking milk for strong bones, composting keeps your plants vibrant and healthy.

Drought Resistant

No rain? No problem. Compost retains and conserves water, keeping your plants quenched during a dry spell. By retaining water, your plants won’t have to rely on you or the clouds for water. Instead, they budget the water that is being stored all around their roots in the compost.

Cleaner Oceans

By adding a blanket of compost over your typical garden soil, you are adding another layer to filter the water. By further filtering water, the runoff becomes cleaner, in turn, cleaning not just your local lakes and rivers, but the oceans too. All water is connected, whether it directly reaches the ocean, or enters our atmosphere through evaporation. Not only will your plants be happy, but the ocean life will be thanking you too! Earth is our home; composting is an easy way to make a big impact.

It's a Good Science Lesson for the Kids

Bring out your inner child making mudpies in the backyard. The effect compost has on your garden is pure magic. Composting is a way to feel like you are actively benefiting the environment, and that’s because you are. Composting is something the whole family can do together. Hidden in the fun of getting a little messy is an extremely valuable lesson in recycling. Together you and your kids will learn about regenerating waste and controlling your carbon footprint, and see first-hand the effects of what going a little greener can look like.

tips on gardening with kids: Plant a Child-Friendly Garden

Higher Consciousness of Food Waste

It seems pretty simple, and it is. Around the world, there are many people without stable access to a bountiful meal. Recycling is a way of showing our appreciation for the true value of what we eat. What we eat doesn't end with us; food is not only a source of nutrition for our bodies but for nature's plants and the ecosystems in which they exist. When food gets broken down into organic matter and used in the garden, it gets the chance to provide nutrients for the next cycle of organic life.

Learn More: 13 Best Countertop Compost Bins for Your Kitchen

Decreases Methane Emissions

Woah, who knew composting could get so scientific! By throwing your food waste into your compost bin, there is less waste being thrown into big landfills. This means that there is less organic waste in landfills to emit methane. By lowering the amount of methane, we are eliminating some greenhouse gasses that are contributing to climate change. In turn, we are allowing for more oxygen in our air, and less heat being trapped around the earth’s surface.

Get the How-To: Build a Pallet Compost Bin

Shrinks Your Carbon Footprint

Compost acts as a sort of sponge for carbon dioxide, keeping it in the ground compared to the atmosphere. Too much carbon dioxide, if released into the atmosphere, holds onto heat and keeps it, trapping it in the air. This heats up our earth, which is a large contributor to climate change. By lowering your carbon footprint you are helping us get cleaner air and lessen climate change.

Learn More: Sustainable Landscape Design

Saves You Money

You can buy or build a compost bin, but you don't have to: you can just start a compost pile anywhere in your yard without it costing a cent. Composting is a huge way to save money. As a recycle-based activity, most of the materials are already in your possession. Plus, by using compost in your garden, you won’t have to spend so much on fertilizers and soils. It also saves on your water bill due to compost’s water retaining abilities, you won’t have to worry about frequent watering during the hot season.

Learn More: How to Compost

Aerates the Soil

Compost breaks down lumps of soil, allowing your plant’s roots to spread wherever they like. Without those big lumps in your soil, more water and air can flow through the soil, making it healthier and less likely to get your plants sick.

Learn More: What Is the Difference Between Potting Soil and Garden Soil?

The Benefits of Composting

Related To:

Shop This Look

Let's Talk Compost

Reduce, Reuse and …

Provides Soil With Nutrients

Drought Resistant

Cleaner Oceans

It's a Good Science Lesson for the Kids

Higher Consciousness of Food Waste

Decreases Methane Emissions

Shrinks Your Carbon Footprint

Saves You Money

Aerates the Soil

The Different Ways to Make Compost

25 Things You Can Compost (Some May Surprise You!)

13 Best Countertop Compost Bins for Your Kitchen

How to Compost if You Live in an Apartment

What is Mushroom Compost?

Guide to Composting With Worms

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