Compost Marketing Trends in the United States

As programs are being implemented throughout the United States to divert wastes from landfill disposal, composting is continuing to increase in popularity as a means of treating organic wastes. As the number of composting facilities increases, the competition for markets and the importance of producing a high quality compost also increase. This paper provides an overview of composting in the United States, a discussion of compost markets and marketing efforts, and a presentation of factors that affect compost marketing. Trends in composting and compost marketing are discussed, including the use of source separated feedstocks, composting of segregated wastes, and governmental policies that affect composting.