What is composting?

Composting is the aerobic (meaning it requires oxygen) breaking down by bacteria and other micro-organisms of organic waste into soil. It requires proper amounts of Nitrogen, Carbone and Oxygen to take place, and will result in a rich, safe and fully mature soil that can be used right away for potting, agriculture or landscaping.

During the composting process the Nitrogen in the waste will go through different stages:

turning first into ammonium (NH₄⁺)
then into Nitrites (NO₂^-)
and finally into Nitrates (NO₃^-) which are easily assimilated by plants and animals.

Fully mature compost chemically stable and has great value as a soil fertilizer and conditioner. Compost also helps soil water retention and prevents desertification.

What is not composting?

Drying or dehydrating the waste, using anaerobic bacteria (rotting) or any other process than doesn’t produce a safe and mature product.

Dryers, fermenters and some bio-digesters will only remove the water in the waste without properly breaking down the Nitrogen molecules in it. Very often this process utilizes a lot of energy for evaporating the water in the waste, and the product obtained is rich in ammonium (NH₄⁺), a well-known cause for water pollution, acid rain and smog, and requires further processing before being safe for agricultural use or disposal.

Get all the facts straight and request an analysis report on the end product obtained, then compare it to your local compost Standards to make sure the "machine" you buy is really a composter and not something else.