{"id":41056,"date":"2021-09-22T09:21:07","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T07:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/?p=41056"},"modified":"2025-12-12T11:55:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:55:05","slug":"what-is-composting-and-how-does-it-reduce-our-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/en\/2021\/09\/what-is-composting-and-how-does-it-reduce-our-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Copying Nature (Yet Again): What Is Composting, and How Does It Reduce Our Impact on the Environment?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fruit peels, eggshells, tea bags, and leaves that have fallen from a plant after transplanting it. Every day,\u00a0<\/span>we leave behind<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>small bits<\/span><\/b>\u00a0of organic waste that seem insignificant at first glance. However, if we put them all together, we would see that they aren’t so small: it is estimated that\u00a0<\/span>44% of the waste<\/span><\/a>\u00a0generated worldwide is food scraps and other organic elements.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If not\u00a0handled appropriately, this garbage ends up decomposing improperly and generating\u00a0<\/span>large amounts of methane<\/span><\/b>, a gas with a powerful greenhouse effect. To avoid this problem, there’s a widely available solution: converting it into compost.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Composting is a technique as old as agriculture; in recent years, it has moved beyond just rural areas to\u00a0<\/span>become increasingly prominent<\/span><\/b>\u00a0in urban environments. We’ll tell you what composting is, how it works, and above all, what benefits it offers the planet and the environment.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does composting work?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To understand how composting works, it’s best to start at the beginning: what is compost? It is\u00a0<\/span>natural compost<\/span><\/b>, a fertilizer product used in agriculture due to its ability to regenerate soil. It’s obtained from different materials that are organic in origin, such as food or yard waste.\u00a0<\/span> \"composting\"<\/p>\n

Organic waste can easily be turned into compost<\/em><\/p>\n

Composting is the process of transforming these organic materials into compost.\u00a0<\/span>Decomposing agents<\/span><\/b>\u00a0come into play in this process, such as worms, bacteria, and fungi; they are responsible for converting the waste into fertilizer material.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Composting must be done in a specific environment that creates\u00a0<\/span>a decomposing ecosystem<\/span><\/b>\u00a0where oxygen is abundant (a compost bin). In these environments, the temperature and humidity conditions that occur naturally in terrestrial ecosystems are imitated to renew soil nutrients or generate new soil.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The usual composting process takes\u00a0<\/span>between five and six months<\/span><\/b>, and the result is an odor-free, earthy-looking product that’s ready to use as natural compost.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of composting\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Converting organic waste into compost has many benefits, which is why more and more people are starting to do this at home. First,\u00a0<\/span>it supports the circular economy<\/span><\/b>\u00a0by closing the organic matter cycle and reusing goods that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a\u00a0<\/span>solution to food waste<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0<\/span>1.3 billion tons of food<\/span><\/a>\u00a0are lost or wasted every year around the world, according to the United Nations Environment\u00a0Programme\u00a0(UNEP). Of these, almost 5.7 billion tons are produced in households. Compost allows them to be returned to the\u00a0Earth and given a new life, both on a large scale and\u00a0domestically.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n