Composting Reduces Waste & Helps the Environment

The more kitchen and yard waste we compost, the less waste goes into our landfills. Keeping organic waste out of landfills reduces the production of methane, which is a greenhouse gas 30 times as potent as carbon dioxide.

 

Using Compost Improves Soil & Plant Health 

The application of quality compost improves the soil in our lawns and gardens in so many ways. For example, compost:

  • Adds slow release macronutrients and organic matter
  • Supports and enhances the soil’s community of beneficial micro-organisms
  • Improves drainage and aeration in dense, clay soil
  • Enables light soil to retain nutrients and moisture
  • Attracts earthworms and other beneficial organisms
  • Enhances the soil’s ability to clean the water that passes through it on the way to our streams and rivers
  • Results in a darker soil colour, which better holds the sun’s warmth

 

In 2021, Compost Council of Canada released the results of a five-year agricultural research trial conducted in Brandon. 

The photo below shows the effects of soil amendment used on veggies from the City of Brandon's Green Cart Program.

  • Annual: Results from soil amendment added every year
  • Biennial: Results from soil amendment added every second year
  • Control: No soil amendment added

 

 Growth results from year five of the Manitoba-based field study using municipal compost and different application frequencies.

Growth results from year five of the Manitoba-based field study using municipal compost and different application frequencies (annual, biennial, none (control)).
Source: Dr. Lord Abbey, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University

 

Resources:

pdf How to Apply Compost (54.1 KB)

pdf Backyard Compost Handbook (356 KB)

pdf Better Yield and Nutritional Value - Compost Council of Canada (192.7 KB)