&EPA
United States
Environmental
Agency
Protection
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(OS-305)
EPA/530-SW-91-009
May 1991
Office of solid waste
Environmental
Fact sheet
YARD WASTE COMPOSTING
Across the nation, composting is gaining increased attention as an environmentally
sound way to manage yard wastes. Yard wastes are such materials as leaves, grass
clippings, brush, and tree prunings. Many communities and 12 states have banned
yard wastes from landfills, composting diverts yard wastes from landfills and combus-
tors. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends composting yard
wastes. Not only is composting sensible from an environmental perspective, it also
effectively converts yard wastes into a useful soil additive or mulch.,
What Are the Facts
About Yard Wastes?
Yard wastes account for
nearly a fifth (over 31 million
tons) of all garbage gener-
ated in the U. S. each year,
making yard wastes the
second largest component
[by weight) of the municipal
solid waste stream. The
amount of yard waste gener-
ated varies considerably
from region to region, during
different seasons, and from
one year to the next. In fact,
during peak months (primar-
ily summer and fall), yard
wastes can represent as
much as 25 to 50 percent of
municipal solid waste.
Why Not Put Yard
Wastes in Landfills?
Since these materials are
relatively clean and biode-
gradable, disposal in land-
fills may be unnecessary
and wastes space. In addi-
tion, as yard wastes decom-
pose in landfills, they gener-
ate methane gas and acidic
leachate. Methane is a
colorless, explosive gas that
is released as bacteria de-
compose organic materials
in landfills. If methane is
not controlled at a landfill, it
can seep underground and
into nearby buildings, where
it has the potential to ex-
plode. Yard wastes also
contribute acidity that can
make other waste constitu-
ents more mobile and there-
fore more toxic.
Yard wastes also are gen-
erally unsuitable for com-
bustion in incinerators due
to their high moisture
content, which can inhibit
complete burning. When
burned, yard wastes emit
certain gases which contrib-
ute to the formation of
smog-causing nitrogen
oxides.
Why Not Burn Leaves
And Other Yard
Wastes?
Burning leaves and other
yard wastes pollutes the air
and can lead to uncon-
trolled fires. Leaf smoke can
make breathing difficult for
people who suffer from
asthma, emphysema,
chronic bronchitis, or aller-
gies. A number of states
currently ban leaf burning,
and some communities
either ban leaf burning or
restrict when it can take
place.
Printed on recycled paper.
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What Is composting?
composting is the con-
trolled decomposition of
organic matter by micro-
organisms (mainly bacte-
ria and fungi) into a hu-
mus-like product. Many
home gardeners have
created compost piles in
their backyards. Towns
and cities have set up
community-wide
composting facilities that
furnish the finished com-
post to a variety of users.
How Can Compost
Be Used?
Compost can be used for a
Variety of gardening projects.
It can enrich gardens, im-
prove the soil around trees
and shrubs, and be used as
a soil additive for house-
plants and planter boxes.
Compost can enhance soil
texture, increase the ability
of the soil to absorb air and
water, suppress weed
growth, decrease erosion.
and reduce the need to apply
chemical fertilizers and peat
moss. Following are some
other successful uses of
compost:
•Farmers use compost for
enhancing crops and for
sod farms.
• Landscapers use compost
as a soil amendment and
for decorative purposes at
properties, golf courses,
and athletic fields. Land -
scapers also use compost
to cover landfills and carry
out reclamation projects.
• Nurseries use compost for
enhancing plant and forest
seedling crops in reforesta-
tion projects.
• Public agencies use com-
post for landscaping high
way median strips, parks,
recreational areas, and
other public property.
What Materials Can
Be Composted?
Yard wastes such as
leaves, grass, prunings,
weeds, and remains of gar-
den plants all make excel-
lent compost. To speed the
composting process, woody
yard wastes should be
clipped and sawed down, or
run through a shredder.
Vacuum cleaner lint, wool
and cotton rags, sawdust,
shredded newspaper, and
fireplace ashes also can be
composted. Although many
foods can be composted, you
should check with your local
Board of Health to see if any
sanitary code restrictions
apply to food composting in
your area. Do not compost
meats dairy foods, fats, oil.
or grease.
How Can I Set Up
A Compost Pile?
composting is easy. You
can set up a compost pile in
a corner of your yard with
few supplies. Choose a level
spot about three-feet square
near a water source and
preferably out of direct
sunlight. Clear the area of
sod and grass. If you build
a composting bin, be sure to
leave enough space for air
to reach the pile. Materials
such as chicken wire, scrap
wood, or cinder blocks can
be used to build the bin.
One removable side makes
it easier to tend to the pile.
Place coarse brush at
the bottom of the pile to
allow air to circulate. Then
add leaves, grass, weeds,
etc. You may layer the yard
wastes with soil, if you
want. Keeping the pile
moist and turning it every
few weeks will help speed
up the natural decomposi-
tion process. In dry
weather, sprinkle water on
the pile, but don't let it get
too soggy. Don't be sur-
prised by the heat of the
pile or if you see worms,
both of which are just part
of the process. In most
climates, the compost is '
done in three to six months,
or when it becomes a dark
crumbly material that is
uniform in texture,
Can Christmas Trees
Be Used?
Many communities have
begun programs to reuse
the more than 30 million
trees discarded each year
after the holiday season.
The trees are picked up at
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the curb or collected at
dropoff centers through the
second week of January.
Then they are ground into
small pieces by chippers,
and used as mulch in land-
scaping. To prepare your
tree for reuse, carefully
remove the ornaments,
especially strands of tinsel,
and any plastic wrapping or
other materials used to
transport the tree. You can
also chip the tree yourself
and use the mulch in your
own yard.
How Can I Learn More
About composting?
EPA has developed several
publications related to com -
posting. EPA recently issued
a booklet entitled. The
Environmental Consumer's
Handbook that describes
how to set up a backyard
compost pile. The Handbook
also contains over 75 prac-
tical tips for reducing and
recycling solid waste. An-
other publication, the Deci-
sion-Maker's Guide to Solid
Waste Management, devotes
an entire chapter to com-
post. This Guide is targeted
at local government deci-
sion-makers, and contains
solutions to many solid
waste management prob-
lems. Both of these publica-
tions are available at no
cost.
Contact the RCRA Hot-
line. Call Monday through
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30
p.m. EST. The national toll-
free number is (800) 424-
9346. For the hearing in-
paired, the number- is TDD
(800) 553-7672. copies of
these publications can also
be obtained by writing:
RCRA Information Center
(RIC), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of
Solid Waste (OS-305), 401
M Street SW., Washington,
DC 20460.
Another report for deci-
sion-makers, Yard Waste
composting: A Study of
Eight Programs, is available
for a fee from the National
Technical Information Ser-
vices (NTIS). Call (703) 487-
4650 and ask for publica-
tion number PB90- 163 114.
EPA is also developing a
Guide to Composting that
will assist policy-makers in
determining what type of
composting they should
promote in their community
and in planning and operat-
ing compost facilities.
In addition, EPA has
drafted a report entitled
Markets lor Compost, which
provider, information on
markets and uses for com-
post. These two documents
should be available in early
1991 from the Hotline.
EPA Regions
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(OS-305)
401 M Street SW
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
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