Composting/Landfills | Introduction
Introduction
Composting is the process in which organicAny material containing carbon atoms. wastes are broken down biologically and become dark, fertile soil called humusFragrant, spongy, nutrient-rich decayed plant or animal matter.. An ancient practice, composting probably began when the original hunter-gatherers began cultivating food and saw that crops grew better in areas where the soil contained manureThe waste matter of animals., the waste matter of animals.
Agricultural composting with manure was being used in the Mesopotamia Valley in Asia as early as 13 B.C. Not surprisingly, Native American tribes practiced composting long ago, as did the first colonists who arrived in North America.