It can recycle as much as 60 percent of a community's garbage and is increasingly viewed as a realistic part of the solution to the solid waste problem. C omposting is a natural biological process that accelerates the breakdown of waste materials. Accomplishing efficient decomposition of waste involves understanding how different waste materials blend for the composting process. The end products of this decomposition are the same as those from nature's own process carbon dioxide, water and compost. This works best when moisture and oxygen levels are maintained.
Some systems separate compostable components out of the waste stream.
Other systems remove the recyclables, such as glass, plastic, newspaper and metal, as well as hazardous materials, and compost the rest. The best method for a community will depend on existing collection and recycling programs, markets for the compost products, financial resources, other waste management options and a variety of factors that may be unique to an area. In its hierarchy of solutions, the EPA classifies composting as a form of recycling, and has called for our nation to recycle 25 percent of our trash by 1992, up from the current 13 percent. In fact, composting, in conjunction with other forms of recycling, represents the best way for most states to reach their recycling goals, which in some cases calls for as much as 50 percent of all trash to be recycled by the middle of the decade. Composting fits right in with integrated solid waste management systems.