Composting

As Karyn mentioned in the post earlier today, a great way to cut down on landfill gas is to start a composting system. Being the least environmentally aware person in the group, I sheepishly had to ask what it really was. Hence, my new blog entry!

Composting is, according to the How To Compost Website, "the transformation of organic material (plant matter) through decomposition into a soil-like material called compost. Invertebrates (insects and earthworms), and microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) help in transforming the material into compost." Basically, it's nature's way of recycling. 

Further research shows there's actually more than one way to compost. One is called Cold/Slow Composting. This seems to be the simplest way to start off. To begin, take the greens (nitrogen-rich material like grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, etc.) and the browns (slower to rot, carbon-rich material like dried leaves, small twigs, cardboard, and shredded paper) and set it in a bin. Make sure to keep meat scraps and dairy products out, as they do tend to attract animals. Then, turn the pile every day or so and within several months you will have fully decomposed the pile.

Hot Composting requires more of your time, but also will take less time to fully decompose. As this is a very detail-oriented process, please check out this helpful site that can walk you step-by-step through the the setup and follow through.
 
A huge benefit of doing this is that, on average, 700 lbs of material is kept out of landfills. A healthy number that can help cut down drastically on landfill gas and carbon. Rock!

Landfill Gas

According to the EPA, Americans send an average of 4.5 pounds of garbage per person per day to landfills. The organic material in that garbage decomposes in an oxygen-free environment, which produces landfill gas, a mixture of two potent greenhouse gases, methane and carbon dioxide. Landfill gas is the largest human-related source of methane in the United States, making it a significant contribution to global warming.

Both methane and carbon dioxide are greenhouse gases, but methane has 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. While there are EPA regulations designed to curb methane emissions, and some landfills have begun to convert their gases into energy, a huge amount still escapes into the atmosphere. Also, food waste in landfills contributes to leachate, the potentially toxic liquid that results from accumulated moisture and rainwater filtering through the garbage. This liquid is difficult to contain, and can lead to groundwater contamination.

Instead of sending all of that useful biodegradable material to a landfill, why not try composting? Unlike the anaerobic decomposition process that takes place in a landfill, a properly managed aerobic composting system that gets plenty of oxygen will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. The compost you will make is much better for the environment than chemical fertilizers, and the plants you eventually grow with it will help take carbon dioxide out of the air. 

Even people in small apartments can keep their kitchen scraps in a compost pail. Any stainless steel pot with a tight fitting lid will do, or you can just put it in a container in the freezer until you can take it to your local community garden or Whole Foods compost trash can. More intrepid folks could also try a worm bin, since vermicomposting is a great way to compost your scraps indoors, when you don't have a yard, or if your outside space is limited.