Top: Filter socks (above) are an example of compost utilization in stormwater management, an application discussed in the new EPA report. Photo by Chris Cunningham, Cedar Grove Composting
A new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assesses the value of compost beyond the more common uses by the agriculture, horticulture and landscaping sectors. Compost’s utility “extends into other sectors such as stormwater management and green infrastructure, restoration of disturbed lands (where soils have been depleted of organic matter, have had their structure destroyed and/or have been compacted, including those affected by wildfires), and remediation of contaminated soils,” states the report’s introduction. “EPA seeks to understand the value of compost use in these additional sectors and the potential benefits of increasing the use of compost at scales that better align with the volume of organic materials (e.g., food waste) available for composting.”
Source: Environmental Value of Applying Compost (U.S. EPA)
Environmental Value of Applying Compost: Improving Soil Health for Stormwater Management, Contaminated Site Remediation, Ecosystem Restoration, Landscaping and Agriculture starts by summarizing the benefits of compost use for soil health, water resources and climate (Sections 2–4). Sections 5 through 9 offer a sectoral breakdown of environmental benefits for agriculture, landscaping and horticulture, green infrastructure and stormwater management, contaminated land remediation, and ecosystem conservation and restoration. Section 10 describes common compost feedstocks and compost production methods while Section 11 discusses how the environmental functions of compost are influenced by compost characteristics. Section 12 provides an overview of the typical compost application frequencies and rates for different end uses. Section 13 describes how site-specific characteristics (e.g., soil type, climate) can affect compost performance. Section 14 explores the economic value associated with compost production and use. Section 15 looks at the benefits and barriers to “compost use at-scale,” the term used to examine potential large-scale benefits if compost production and use became better aligned with the available stream of compostable materials. Finally, Section 16 provides conclusions about the benefits of compost use as well as recommendations for future research.
Authors of the Environmental Value of Applying Compost used a combination of peer-reviewed literature reviews (focused on literature published after 2010 in order to focus on the most up-to-date scientific information), government reports and literature from composting industry organizations and publications, and interviews with experts in the field of compost use to verify that key sources of literature were not excluded and to help ensure the accuracy of the report content. EPA also posted new content on its “Benefits of Using Compost” webpage.
