(The Center Square) – An agricultural expert says composting may be the solution to reducing food waste in Illinois landfills.
Nationally, landfills and trash incinerators receive 167 million tons of garbage a year, half of that being compostable.
“Illinois landfills receive almost 20 tons of waste per year, and it’s kind of astounding that nearly 21% of that is food scraps,” said STEM educator Susan Gasper during a recent University of Illinois Extension “Everyday Environment” podcast.
Landfills are anaerobic environments, meaning there is little to no oxygen. When microorganisms break down organic materials in an anaerobic environment, methane is released.
Gasper said when oxygen is available, like during composting, carbon dioxide is released instead of methane. Both molecules are greenhouse gases, but methane is four times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
“Composting is really the controlled anaerobic, biological decomposition of organic matter into a stable product called compost,” said Gasper. “It’s basically the same process as decomposition.”
Gasper adds that compost can be used to decrease runoff and control erosion, and can also support soil health by improving soil water holding capacity which benefits plants.
Scientists have observed a rapid increase in atmospheric methane levels since 2007. Microbes in the environment, not fossil fuels, have been driving the recent surge in methane emissions globally, according to an analysis published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by CU Boulder researchers and collaborators.