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Compost may: Aid in erosion control Extend chemical fertilizers Increase buffering capacity of the soil Provide cover for landfill Be used for land reclamation Be used as top dressing for parks or athletic fields Other municipal composting programs such as Sacramento's, found that finished compost is desired by city residents, and may also be used by cities for land maintenance programs. The economic market for compost, however, is very limited. Typically, finished conpost is made avail- able for free to city residents. In some cases, large quantities of the finished material may be sold to commercial users or other commun- ities. The primary value of a composting program is in reducing the volume of material that requires landfill burial. • Composting Program Economics: Historically, municipal composting has not been able to economically compete on a net -cost -per -ton process basis with more traditional waste disposal methods. However, economics and environmental regulations have forced a re-examination of solid waste management options. New air pollution standards have restricted incineration. As per capita waste generation increases, old landfills fill quickly. New landfill sites are expensive to purchase and are typically located at a considerable distance from metropolitan areas, dramatically increasing transportation costs. The considerable volume of organic material now being buried in landfills, and the well devel- oped and proven technology of composting, has made composting an economically viable solid waste management option. An efficient organic control program should be able to significantly reduce landfill volume, however, as previously stated, market oppor- tunities for finished compost are limited. Therefore, composting is assumed to produce landfill credits; but neither energy savings nor revenues. In some cases.where the municipality otherwise purchases large quantities of soil amendment, or there is a significant local commercial demand for the finished product, additional cost benefits or limited revenue may exist. An actual cost benefit analysis of a composting program will depend on current and anticipated landfill costs, the type and volume of materials the compost program is able. to accept, the operational costs of the program, and the initial start-up costs required. These factors will differ with each program.