Three Reasons to Try Composting

January 14, 2023

By Megan Boyle, Editorial Director

The idea of tending to decaying plant matter doesn’t appeal to everyone. But composting—the process of breaking down organic materials into a dark, nutrient-rich substance that you add to soil—offers a numbers of benefits that might surprise you.

Here are three ways composting can make your garden, your family and the environment a bit healthier.

Enrich your soil without harmful chemicals

Do your kids like to play in the dirt? Mixing compost into your soil helps it retain nutrients, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers that can be harmful to young children.

Soil enriched with compost also retains more water—an important plus in drought-stricken states like California.

Grow healthier plants, pesticide-free

Do you grow fruits and vegetables in your garden? Thanks to microscopic organisms and bacteria, plants grown in soil supplemented with compost have fewer diseases and insects.

This means you don’t need to use pesticides—and your family won’t be consuming the residue on your produce.

Lower your carbon footprint

Would you like to take out the trash less frequently? Up to 30 percent of household waste can be composted instead.

Making compost frees up dwindling landfill space and lowers the release of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide emissions.

Interested in using compost but can’t make your own? Look for a brand certified by the U.S. Composting Council or the Organic Materials Review Institute to ensure quality.