Composting is the rotting or breaking down of organic matter into small particles of fertile soil. The process can by sped up by mixing ingredients together and putting them in the right conditions. The benefits of finished soil conditioner (compost) include adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil and increasing the water holding capacity of Perth's generally poor sandy soils.
Up to 55% of household waste, collected in green wheelie bins, is organic material that can be composted. Advances in composting technologies means that it can be carried out on a large scale to treat household waste. The organic waste is broken down as it would be in nature but is accelerated by this composting process.
Composting is also referred to as aerobic composting because it involves the breakdown of organic material in the presence of air (oxygen).
The product produced by the RRF is referred to as a "soil conditioner". The primary difference between a compost and a soil conditioner is that a compost typically needs in excess of six weeks to breakdown to produce a humus (stable soil product). The RRF process only matures the organic material for 28 days (four weeks). Hence the product is defined as a soil conditioner (partially decomposed compost)
The Benefits of Composting
* Fun fact info: 30,000 tonnes is as heavy as 3000 Transperth buses, or 83 full QANTAS 747s. And, it's sufficient to cover 60 hectares of land 10cm deep - that's about 36 Subiaco Ovals with compost to a depth of 10cm.
- Extracts valuable products from waste.
- Enclosed process with the risk of air and water emissions low.
- Odour managed by proven Biofilter design.
- Technology complies with relevant state and federal government legislation.
- Organic material diversion of waste from landfill.
- Reduction in greenhouse gases in comparison to landfill.
- Large potential of compost market.
- Compost can be used to improve water holding capacity and quality of soil.