Why Compost Matters

Composting combats climate change on three critical fronts. First, by removing food waste from landfills, we reduce our trash volume by about 40% which extends landfill life and reduces heavy machinery required to handle material. Secondly, food waste in landfills is also a high producer of noxious, planet-warming methane gas. In fact, if “Foodwasteinlandfills” was a country of its own, it would be the THIRD LARGEST carbon producer, behind only the US and China. Dirty! Finally, when the finished compost is spread and seeds are planted, the ability for that area to sequester carbon from the atmosphere (where there’s too much) down into the soil (where we need it) is activated, thus offering the potential to reverse climate change.

Reunity Resources offers a variety of composting services, including:

• Doorstep Compost Collection
• Commercial Compost Pick-Up
• and FREE 24/7 food scrap  drop off!

Below you will find information and various resources   

Vertical Divider

Using compost

Compost can be used in multiple ways to provide optimal health and resilience to your plants. Using compost increases soil organic matter, adds mineral content, improves soil structure and porosity, and increases drought resilience of plants.

1. Soil amendment

Spring or fall, pre-planting or post harvest, amend your existing ‘soil’ to 50-70% compost. (This is the recommendation for NM, where sand/clay is the prevalent soil. In an area of richer natural soil like the Midwest, a lower percentage may be recommended.) Add 4-6 inches of compost on top before tilling, and then add another layer, again, on top to create rows and furrows for a traditional rowed field. 

​Greatest benefit achieved with application three weeks or more prior to seeding or planting.  Great benefit can still be derived with application over the growing season.

2. top dressing

​For a lawn, pasture or cover cropped field, top dressing is the most efficient application.  Just as it sounds, you spread the compost on top of the existing grasses, etc. For effective top dressing, your finished compost should be screened to particle sizes of 3/8-inch or less, free from weed seeds, spread when grasses are actively growing, and the layer of compost about ½ inch thick. If you do core aeration of your lawn, spreading afterward is recommended. Water well upon application and watch your plants plump up!

3. mulch

Use as a beautiful mulch, 2-6 inches deep. This stops weeds, saves water and nourishes your plants gradually with each rain or watering. Over time, the compost will work its way in and improve soil structure and health without any heavy turning or tilling. Deep mulching with compost is optimal for home gardeners, as well as no-till farmers.

4. in containers

Healthy, living compost is the main ingredient in potting soil blends.  For DIYers, a standard recipe for homemade potting mix is: 2 parts compost, 1 part ‘fluff’ to lighten the mix for additional porosity (we recommend something renewable/sustainable such as coconut coir, rather than peat moss from endangered bogs) and 1 part ‘chunks’ to increase drainage required by container gardening, such as pumice, perlite or sifted sand/gravel.

Benefits of composting​

​Food waste in landfills is a major contributor to the climate crisis, and there are simple steps we can take to not only decrease our detrimental impact but simultaneously create positive change by building healthy soils which serve to sequester carbon from the atmosphere back into the soil where it belongs.

• Reduces methane emissions from landfills.
• Conserves water by retaining more moisture in the soil which also helps suppress plant diseases and pests.
• Improves soil health which helps trap harmful carbon from reaching the atmosphere. 
• Decreases the need for artificial fertilizers.
• Encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus.

What can I compost with Reunity?

Food Scraps

Yes: meat, poultry and seafood (including bones), cheese, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, grains, pasta, eggshells, bread, coffee grounds, tea leaves, baked goods, nuts, jelly candy, snack foods, leftovers, spoiled food (any of these foods cooked or raw)
​
NO: plastic, glass, metals, styrofoam, animal carcasses

Food-Soiled Paper & Compostable Products

Yes: paper bags, paper napkins, paper towels, coffee filters, paper tea bags, tissues, BPI-certified compostable products
​
NO: glossy paper, newspaper, magazines, window envelopes, cardboard, pizza boxes, shredded paper

Yard Trimmings

​Yes: grass clippings, flowers, leaves, straw,
wood chips
​
NO: ​unchipped slash

Natural Fibers

Yes: sawdust, certified compostable products such as those made from palm leaf or bamboo, compostable packing peanuts

Never: ceramics, cigarette butts and ashes, clothing, diapers, kitty litter, pet waste, medical waste, wine corks, toothpicks, skewers, popsicle sticks