Compost vs. Landfill

Posted by StalkMarket at 12/16/2008 3:16 PM
Categories: Waste Management,Politics,Green Lifestyle
StalkMarket is a serious advocate of composting -- after all, we are a company that makes compostable products. However, our enthusiasm for compsting goes far beyond our product line. Environmentally speaking, it is by far the best way to dispose of organic material like yard trimmings and table scraps which, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), make up nearly a quarter of the waste stream in the United States. Today, most organic waste is deposited in landfills.

Landfills are rich in moisture and nutrients. As a result, most organic materials begin to decompose very quickly. Because waste in a landfill is exposed to very little air, the organic material breaks down by a process called anaerobic decomposition. One of the main byproducts of anaerobic decomposition is methane, which is a relatively potent greenhouse gas and is also highly explosive. While some waste treatment facilities are effectively able to capture methane in its natural gas form, the majority are not. Most of the time, the methane is released in to the atmosphere. Another major disadvantage is simply that organic waste takes up a lot of space in a landfill.

Composting, on the other hand, allows the waste to be exposed to enough air to break down via aerobic decomposition. Aerobic decomposition does not produce methane gas. While this is arguably the most significant benefit, composting provides several others. Aerobic decomposition does not stink. This means commercial composting facilities can be located nearer to population centers.

Compost can also:
  • Suppress plant diseases and pests
  • Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers
  • Promote higher yields of agricultural crops
  • Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted and marginal soils
  • Remove solids, oil, grease and heavy metals from storm water runoff
There is a lot of great information about the benefits of composting on the EPA Website. This includes a list of the sorts of things that can and can't be composted.

We know many of the people who read this blog are already composting at home as part of their commitment to living a green lifestyle. We also understand that home composting is not likely to be something that is embraced by the masses any time soon. We do believe, however, that composting on a municipal level where organic waste is collected cubside along with garbage and recycling is an effective way to get large numbers of people on board. Some communities are already seeing great results. The more pressure individuals put on state and local governments, the better the chances that more and more communities will begin to offer this service.

There are a lot of little things we all can do to help protect the environment. This is a big one. Please make your voice heard.

Buzz Chandler

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