About half the household waste in Australia is made up of food and garden waste. Most of this material could be composted to save landfill, improve soil condition and provide fertiliser in the garden at no cost.
Composting is the method of breaking down waste organic materials in a large container or heap. The decomposition occurs because of the naturally occurring micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungi.
In these conditions, bacteria and fungi feed and multiply, giving off a great deal of heat. In well managed heaps, the temperature can reach up to 60ºC, which is sufficient to kill weed seeds and organisms that cause disease in plants and animals. When the temperature drops, invertebrates enter the heap from surrounding soil and complete the process of decomposition.
Composting bins can be purchased from most hardware stores. Look in the Yellow Pages.
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