The financial feasibility of a program designed to recover resources from municipal solid wastes is, to a large extent, a function of the availability, reliability, and location of markets for the materials that are recovered. Obtaining markets for compost accomplishes one primary objective: it provides end uses for finished product. In addition, the availability of markets provides an important source of revenue, defrays some of the cost of processing, and contributes to the financial viability of an overall waste management strategy. The latter is an important consideration in reducing the amount of residues that are disposed on the land.
