Do you compost?
If you’re like most Americans, the answer is probably no. In the United States, only 5% of our food waste, yard trimmings, paper, and other compostable materials are actually composted each year. The remaining 95% — 60 billion pounds, or the weight of four and a half Egyptian pyramids — ends up rotting in our landfills.
Most Americans are willing to give composting a shot. In a 2014 study, 67% of Americans said they would be open to start composting if the information and resources to do so were made readily available. As the number of U.S. households with access to curbside food waste collection skyrockets, the percentage of Americans who are curious about composting is also rising.
A1 Organics is here to answer all of your composting questions. Our company has been a leader in organic recycling since 1974, and we work closely with landscapers, contractors, state government organizations, sustainability experts, and composting professionals to divert over 375,000 tons of organic waste from Colorado landfills each year. We’re passionate about providing the public with the information and resources needed to make informed organic recycling decisions and to meaningfully contribute to the future of our planet. Read on to learn more and feel free to contact us for more information.
First of all, when we talk about composting, we don’t just mean your old banana peels.
Compostable materials include:
- Non-animal product food scraps
- Paper
- Yard trimmings
- Wood
- Grass
- Leaves
- Brewery residuals
- Biosolids
- Cattle paunch
- Natural wood pallets
- Milk and yogurt
- And more
Left exposed to oxygen and pests, these materials will break down rapidly into nutrient-rich organic matter that acts as a probiotic for the ground. This decomposing organic matter brings nutrients into the soil, attracts microbial life, and even increases the soil’s water-holding capacity.
The plants that grow from this soil will eventually break back down and support the next round of growth, perpetuating an endless cycle of life. As new plants grow, they pull carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere and pump oxygen out. They feed the microbes in the soil and the microbes feed the plants. Barren land becomes fertile. Dry, dusty dirt turns into rich, spongy soil. Life spreads. We call this the natural upcycling process.
Landfills prevent this process from happening.
Many people assume that food waste and other compostable materials will rot wherever they end up, so why does it matter whether that happens in a landfill? Well, the truth is, organic matter doesn’t really rot in landfills. Rather, it does, but the process happens so slowly that the natural environmental benefits of decomposition are replaced by adverse environmental effects.
1. They Mummify Instead of Decomposing
Picture an apple core sitting on a forest floor. Exposed to oxygen, weather, and pests, it breaks down very quickly and becomes a part of the life-sustaining soil beneath. This is healthy decomposition, and this is what occurs during the composting process.
Now picture that same apple core sealed up in a plastic garbage bag and buried underneath thousands of pounds of trash. Without exposure to oxygen or pests, decomposition happens very, very slowly. In 1992, an archaeologist named William J. Rathje decided to excavate active landfills and see what he could find. Among his discoveries was a container of guacamole from 1967 that appeared “almost as good as new.”
Compostable materials in landfills barely break down at all, and even if they do decompose fully, the life-supporting organic material they become has no way to get to the soil and support new growth. It just sits, wasting away in a plastic garbage bag.
2. They Release Tons of Potent Methane Gas
During decomposition, organic matter is eaten and digested by microbes. Normally, these microbes produce carbon dioxide as a waste byproduct. But if no oxygen is available, like in the anaerobic environment of landfills, they produce methane instead. Methane’s greenhouse gas effect on the atmosphere is 21 times greater than carbon dioxide’s over a 100-year period.
The food we waste every year is responsible for an estimated 8% of all global emissions. If we cut down on our food waste in landfills, more than 70 billion tons of greenhouse gases would be prevented from being released into the atmosphere between 2020 and 2050.
3. We’re Wasting Money and Resources by Putting Them There
When food is wasted, all of the money, time, energy, and resources that went into producing, processing, packaging, and transporting it are wasted, too. According to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, that adds up to approximately $650 billion dollars wasted each year.
Not only is that a lot of money down the drain, but we’re also spending money and releasing carbon emissions to transport that discarded organic waste to landfills, where, as we’ve seen, it wreaks havoc on the atmosphere. We are actively wasting money and subsidizing the acceleration of global warming.
We can put that organic waste to good use instead of tossing it in the garbage heap.
4. We Could Be Using Them to Support Agriculture and Prevent Desertification
Consider the alternative to throwing our food waste and other compostable materials into landfills. If we began composting it instead, it would provide a bounty of rich, farmable soil and landscaping materials.
Our current agricultural system is built on unsustainable practices like overuse of land, overcropping, overgrazing, poor irrigation, and deforestation. This uses up the land without encouraging enough new growth to replace what was lost, and the result is that our soil is drying out and our ranchers and farmers are forced to expand to new areas. Land health remains a real threat in the United States as our fertile grounds desertify into arid landscapes.
If we divert our compostable materials out of landfills and instead use them to fertilize the land we farm, we would enjoy increased agricultural productivity, reduced land desertification, and reduced financial losses by repurposing what would otherwise have been wasted.
In summary, composting is a financially responsible, environmentally friendly choice. Imagine a future where we mimic the natural upcycling process by composting our waste instead of tossing it aside: our food would go from farm to table, table to compost, and compost to farm.
If we cut down on our food waste, and divert compostable materials from our landfills, we will enjoy:
- Binding and degrading of specific pollutants
- Reduced financial waste
- Reduced desertification
- Reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers
- Enhanced food nutrition
- Increased supply of macro- and micro-nutrients in our soil
- Stronger plant immune systems
- Improved water retention in soils
- Increased supply of underground water
- Increased agricultural efficiency
- Increased supply of agricultural and landscaping materials
Humans are the only living creatures on the planet that do not live zero-waste lifestyles. Waste is defined as anything that is “unused, unproductive, or not properly utilized.” We can begin utilizing our spare food and organic materials to drive growth instead of loss — to participate in regeneration instead of degeneration, and to become a part of the natural upcycling process that sustains the planet.
All it takes is composting!
So how can you start composting at home? It’s easier than you think. Many people are discouraged from composting because they aren’t sure how to begin or they think it will be too high-maintenance to oversee the process. But composting can be as simple as tossing your food scraps into a separate bin and having it collected each week.
1. Find a Destination for Your Compost
First, you’ll want to find somewhere for your compost to go. If you keep a home garden or vegetable farm, you’ll find good use for your compost at home. Otherwise, a friend, neighbor, or relative might be able to use it. Ask around to see if anyone you know could use your compost and compostable materials. If all else fails, you’ll probably be able to track down a community garden that will gladly take it off your hands.
Additionally, many cities are implementing curbside compost collection programs. If your city does not provide you with a green composting bin automatically, request one! Municipal composting is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to get started, since you don’t have to maintain the compost pile yourself.
If your city cannot provide you a green bin, there are many private compost collection services that can collect your compostables instead. Most composting services are very affordable and will offer to deliver the soil back to you once it’s fully composted, so you can enjoy the benefits of composting and give your garden or houseplants a nutritional boost without having to oversee the composting process yourself.
Perform a local search to determine the composting options in your area.
2. Set Up Your Compost Bin or Pile
If the city provides you with a green bin, use it. Otherwise, you can easily build a container, order one online, or purchase one from a hardware or garden supply store. Most people opt for closed bins to keep out pests and reduce smell (despite the fact that smelly compost is largely a myth), but make sure it’s not airtight since your compost needs oxygen. You can store your bin wherever makes the most sense for your home. Many people place theirs under the sink, in a cabinet or closet, or out in the garage.
Alternately, you can keep a compost pile in an outdoor space. In addition to oxygen, compost needs plenty of moisture to break down effectively, so choose a shady area if possible to prevent sunlight from drying it out. If you do pick a sunny spot, just be sure to water your compost pile enough to keep it moist. If necessary, surround the pile with fencing to protect it from wildlife and pests.
3. Start Collecting Scraps
Once your bin or pile is set up, start feeding it with your food scraps and other compostable materials. If you are overseeing the composting process yourself, you’ll want to make sure to aim for equal amounts of “green” waste and “brown” waste to keep your compost healthy.
Green waste consists of materials that are rich in nitrogens and proteins, and includes items like fruits, vegetables, and yard trimmings. Brown waste consists of carbon-rich materials like wood shavings, dry leaves, and newspapers. In tandem, they support the microorganisms responsible for healthy decomposition.
If you are choosing a municipal or private compost collection service, they will oversee the composting process to produce healthy soils, so you don’t have to worry as much about getting the perfect ratios of green and brown waste.
There are some items that should not be composted, including dairy and animal products, pet waste, and fats and oils, since they will take longer to break down and attract pests with their smell. Check your collection service to see what their composting recommendations are, and visit our blog to learn more about what materials can and can’t be composted.
4. Wait
Overseeing the composting process at home is relatively simple. Make sure you’re implementing a healthy balance of green and brown waste, keep the mixture moist, and turn it over with a shovel or garden fork every week or two. Over several weeks, your scraps will turn into healthy soil.
If you aren’t seeing progress after several weeks, add more green waste items and water it more frequently. If the mixture is smelly and wet, add more brown waste items and mix it up more frequently.
If your compost is collected by the city or a private collection service, your job is done.
5. Use Your New Soil
How can you tell when your compost is ready for use? Once it looks and smells like soil, it can safely be incorporated into your home or community garden! It’s important to note that compost should not be used as a replacement for soil, but instead as a natural fertilizer to keep your plants healthy and thriving.
If you’ve opted for a composting collection service, you can probably get fully composted, healthy soil delivered back to you. Check with your city or private service to see if this is an option.
Join A1 Organics in Driving Composting Innovation
A1 Organics is a Colorado-based organic recycling company that diverts over 375,000 tons of organic waste from landfills each year. We work with organizations including Denver Public Works, Denver Parks and Recreation, and the Colorado Department of Transportation to supply organic compost and landscaping materials for applications in construction, gardening, and agriculture.
We are STA-certified by the United States Composting Council, and we have been granted a gold leader membership to the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
If you are interested in purchasing premium mulch, soil, compost, and other landscaping materials for your home or business, please feel free to contact us today. Be sure to follow our blog to learn more about how you can begin composting and become a part of the natural upcycling process.