I saw this fact and was totally amazed!
It takes 18 years for one corn cob to decompose in a landfill, but only a couple of months in a compost pile!
We often think about plastics and styrofoam in landfills but who knew corn would take that long to decompose. To help lessen the strain on our landfills consider creating a compost pile in your backyard or get a green bin from your local garbage man if you don’t have one already. The backyard compost pile is a great activity for the whole family—once it turns to soil, kids can help plant a garden. You can actually save hundreds of dollars a year by growing your own veggies.
Posted by Taylor J. Poehls, DC (@BrookfieldChiro) on April 23, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Why does it take longer to decompose in a landfill?
Posted by swgeorge on April 23, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Most importantly the corn cob needs water, air and bacteria to decompose. In a landfill you lack air and water so things tend to decompose at a much slower rate. Compost piles on the other hand are constantly exposed to air and water and the correct types of bacteria are introduced. I knew it wouldn’t break down as fast in a landfill because its not exposed to the elements but 18 months is a LONG time for fresh food (without preservatives) to decompose!
Posted by Taylor J. Poehls, DC (@BrookfieldChiro) on April 23, 2012 at 12:49 PM
Thanks for the response!
Posted by john wheeler on April 23, 2012 at 10:59 AM
The aeration of the compost definitely speeds up the decompostion process. Who would have believed a corn stalk could last so long!!!
Posted by Jason Wind on June 19, 2012 at 2:17 PM
Please be careful that anything you compost doesn’t have dangerous contaminants.
http://www.networx.com/article/preventing-contaminants-in-home-compost