The 3R Program Recycling at Northern Illinois University www.niu.edu NIU Calendar Campus Maps
Northern Illinois University
NIU Phone Book A-Z Index NIU Search


To contact us:
Phone:
815-753-0352
Fax:
815-753-6290

3R Program Physical Plant Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL 60115

Recycling with Compost
Using Compost
Gardening with Compost
Family using compost
Compost Facts


  • In Sacramento County 150,000 cubic yards of grass clippings (or the equivalent of a 7 story building the size of a football field) are generated every year.
  • Americans throw away about 10% of the food they buy at the supermarket. This results in dumping the equivalent of more than 21 million shopping bags full of food into landfills every year.
  • One pound of red worms can consume half a pound of food waste every day.
  • Recycling an average-size family's yard waste can make about 300-400 pounds of finished compost, or humus, a year.
  • Thirty-five million tons of yard trimmings (including grass, leaves, and tree and brush trimmings) are generated in the U.S. annually. Each year, 12% of the yard trimmings produced are composted.
  • Fallen leaves contain 50-80% of the nutrients that a tree extracts from the Earth. By composting them, we're helping the earth replenish itself.
  • Grass makes up 70% of all yard waste. If grass clippings are short enough, they quickly decompose and supply the soil with nitrogen and carbon.
  • When yard waste is buried in landfills, where there is not much oxygen, it releases methane gas, a powerful green house gas that contributes to air pollution and global warming. Methane and other toxics can also condense into liquid and leach into groundwater.
  • More than 20 states prohibit landfills from accepting landscape waste (Illinois is one of them).  Instead, separate pick-ups are made and this waste is composted to be used in state landscaping.
  • Zoos are in the business of composting.  Many compost animal waste and then sell it as "Zoo Doo," a rich fertilizer for gardens.
  • Composting food scraps adds nitrogen, which speeds up the composting process and helps make better fertilizer.
  • Adding saw dust to your compost pile will help absorb and mask odors.
  • Worm compost is sometimes used as one of the ingredients in potting soil that can be bought at hardware stores and garden centers. Check the labels next time you have a chance, and see if worms can help your houseplants to grow!