April 1st, 2022 - Composting

Recently as we are exploring topics around climate change and sustainability at work, I have been exposed to a great resource via Drawdown. Drawdown has several resources that you can use to learn about different solutions to address climate change. They also promote learning via challenges. Earth Month Eco-Challenge in April is going to introduce topics around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Did you know the first UN SDG is to End Poverty in all its form everywhere? Soil health has a direct link to ending poverty, especially in developing countries. 

As we are talking about the Save Soil campaign at YICG and Project Now, I thought I would learn and post about 1 topic around soil every day as a part of a modified Earth Month Challenge. I am not good at keeping daily habits, so this is to make me somewhat accountable. No guarantees. Also, a disclaimer that I am not an expert on these topics. My goal is to learn by sharing a topic every day.  Today's topic is Composting. Drawdown Solutions - has very succinct information on composting and its impact on CO2 emissions. I thought this was a good background. 

Nearly half of the solid waste produced globally is organic or biodegradable. Much of it ends up in landfills; there, it decomposes in the absence of oxygen and produces the greenhouse gas methane, which is up to 34 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a century. While many landfills have some form of methane management, it is far more effective to divert organic waste to composting.

Composting ranges in scale from backyard bins to industrial operations. The basic process is the same: ensuring sufficient moisture, air, and heat for soil microbes (bacteria, protozoa, and fungi) to feast on organic material. Rather than generating methane, the composting process converts organic material into stable soil carbon, while retaining water and nutrients of the original waste matter. The result is carbon sequestration as well as production of a valuable fertilizer.

Human beings have long used compost to feed gardens and fields. Today, it is especially useful for managing growing urban waste streams. In 2009, San Francisco passed an ordinance that makes composting the city’s food waste mandatory. Copenhagen, Denmark, has not sent organic waste to landfill in more than 25 years, reaping compost’s win-win-win of cost savings, fertilizer production, and reduced emissions.

Source Drawdown.org 

 

We started segregating our organic waste and then depositing it in a community bin in Yorktown Heights in January 2022. This was inspired by our daughter, who is doing this in Brooklyn.  NYC has a program if you want to share with those who can participate. One way to get involved is to advocate for a local composting program if your town does not have one currently. We can collectively find resources. 

This is a small baby step. I welcome you to share information and your own experience with composting. Also, are there any specific topics around soil health that you are passionate about or interested in? You can leave a comment. Also, stay tuned for tomorrow's topic.