Composting and Biodegradability: what’s the difference?

“Composting is, in broadest terms, the biological reduction of organic wastes to humus. Whenever a plant or animal dies its remains are attacked by microorganisms and larger soil fauna and are eventually reduced to an earthlike substance that forms a beneficial environment for plant roots.” This definition in the 1992 edition of The Rhodale Book of Composting is a simple explanation of a natural process that supports life in every part of the world.