What is compost? Compost is organic matter decomposing

What can you compost? Garden and yard clippings Kitchen scraps (not meats or dairy products) Rags Animal manure Paper (news paper and clean paper) Hair Dry vacuum lint

What are some benefits of composting? It is moist so it keeps the plants and soil hydrated It is rich with nutrients, so fewer fertilizers are used It keeps plants strong, and resistant to pests It can help rebuild harmed wetlands and forests It helps more plants grow in one area It stops erosion

What are some disadvantages of landfills and burning garbage? Resources, like food waste, paper, and aluminum, can’t be reused Toxic liquids created from landfills can seep through the lining of the landfill and get into water and soil Ash and smoke from burning trash pollutes the air

What is leachate? Leachate it toxic liquid produced from landfills. It can get into water and soil. The harmfulness of the leachate depends on what is in the landfill. The liquid from decomposing trash seeps down to the bottom of the landfill. While is it is traveling down, it goes though harmful substances and becomes toxic.

Erosion is when soil or rock is moved by wind, water, and/or gravity to another place. Compost helps prevent erosion What is Erosion?

30% of every an everyday trash bag contains food waste that could be composted

In the United States we only compost 6% of wasted compostable materials