Post-consumer composting as large-scale landfill diversion
Effects of organic material mismanaged and what it may look like to compost as a modern consumer
Mishandling and mismanagement of waste products pose complications to a compounding waste system. In many places it is difficult for post-consumer goods to be handled properly and products that should not be sent to landfills are not routed accordingly. Compostable materials such as food scraps and yard trimmings make up 30% of content sent to landfills (Bradford and Sundby 2019). The dark low-oxygen conditions of landfills are unfit for compostable materials to revert back to beneficial organic material. The organic material is not able to decompose or is incinerated. Instead, methane, a greenhouse gas with a greater global warning potential (GWP) than carbon dioxide, is produced (Bradford and Sundby 2019).
Graphic from Bradford and Sundby 2019
Compostable materials have largely differing ‘life paths’ and end products. As mentioned, on one side of the organic waste spectrum, the end product of mismanaged organic material poses unique and deleterious problems. The environmental effects are widespread and harmful to human health.
On the other side of the organic waste spectrum, compost serves as a highly valuable product. When it decomposes properly it can offer excellent agricultural and environmental benefits. Compost is able to stabilize the soil and replenish it of stripped nutrients- an increasing problem with mishandling of land. This creates a more sustainable means of food production projecting into the future by promoting and encouraging viable land usage (Bradford and Sundby 2019). Increasing compost production can also replace polluting chemical fertilizers that are hazardous to public health. Compost additionally helps sequester carbon from the atmosphere and given the accumulation of carbon contributing to global warming, forces that are able to dimmish the effects are paramount (Bradford and Sundby 2019). In these respects, compost is a remarkable solution to numerous problems.
The earlier statistic regarding the amount of compostable materials landfilled and incinerated was reflective of 50 million tons of compostable waste in 2015. With proper management, 30% of trash could be diverted from landfill, which is a remarkable number (Bradford and Sundby 2019).
Composting programs made available and made easier promote engagement within cities and their individual residents. San Francisco bolstered its composting and recycling program reducing the trash sent to landfills by 80% (Bradford and Sundby 2019). However, in many situations it can be difficult to compost, and consumers are often unsure of how and where to properly do so.
Such barriers to composting can include fear of smell, uncertainty of how to start, and understanding what is acceptable to compost.
Effective composting will not smell or attract bugs or rodents with proper placement and aeration. Composting is traditionally done outdoors in a dry shady spot and it is mixed with a tool to encourage aeration. A number of hardware stores offer convenient indoor bins, or they can be made for indoor use on a smaller scale (EPA).
Composting itself requires three main categories of ingredients: ‘greens,’ ‘browns,’ and water (EPA).
· Green material – such as fruit and vegetable waste, grass clippings
· Brown material – such as dead leaves, branches, twigs
· Water is able to provide moisture to break down the material
Generally composting is successful with approximately equal parts brown and green material. Alternating layers and different sized particles, with larger pieces shopped or shredded, aid in the decomposition process (EPA).
A variety of materials can be composted such as coffee grounds, newspapers, eggshells, sawdust.
Items less apt for composting are:
· Meat, fish, fats/lard/grease, and dairy products (can create odors and attract pests)
· Charcoal and ash (could be harmful to plants)
· Yard trimmings treated with pesticides (could kill needed composting organisms) (EPA)
By siphoning organic material away from trash, one can take trash out less frequently by decreasing the sheer mass and the potential for odor and bugs. Organic material can also be stored in a freezer before being dropped off at a site or facility with a composting program. This allows the individual to participate if they do not have space for a bin or would prefer to drop off material elsewhere. Whole Foods has a composting program for its employees and customers that compacts the materials and sends it to regional composting centers (Shaw 2016). Their model aims to reduce waste and diverts approximately 90% of waste in participating stores (Shaw 2016).
By implementing city and regional-side programs that offer convenience, affordability, frequency of pickup, and education, the programs will create success within themselves for greater participation and result (Bradford and Sundby 2019). Starting one’s own compost bin or dropping off materials with a program are meaningful steps the individual can take to help realize the value of composting on a larger scale and divert it from landfill or incineration.
Until next week, stay savvy.
Bradford, Abigail, and Jonathan Sundby. “Composting in America.” Composting in America | U.S. PIRG, U.S. PIRG, 13 June 2019, uspirg.org/reports/usp/composting-america.
Composting At Home, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home.
Shaw, Jim. “How Whole Foods Market Reduces Waste BY COMPOSTING.” Uncle Jim's Worm Farm, 7 Nov. 2016, unclejimswormfarm.com/whole-foods-market-reduces-waste-composting/.