Everything you need to know about composting
Why Compost?
Biodegradable waste is able to decompose in soil, returning to the Earth it came from. When this waste (such as fruit and vegetable scraps) is thrown away in plastic bags, it will sit in a landfill or the ocean for thousands and thousands of years, emitting toxic methane in the process.
Methane is a gas that is mainly emitted by the production and transport of natural gas, but it also can come from livestock, manure, landfills, coal mining, and natural sources such as wetlands. Landfills create 16% of American methane emissions; methane accounts for 10.2% of all American greenhouse gas emissions. Local build up of methane creates explosive potential, but the main impact is on the global scale. Methane is very efficient at trapping radiation, thus having a large impact on climate change. During a 20 year period, methane's impact on the environment is 84 times greater than that of carbon dioxide.
To prevent these dangerous results of methane emissions, it is crucial that all possible measures are taken to reduce individual impacts. Regulation of natural gas consumption and agriculture is a task for the government, but improving personal waste management habits can have a significant impact as well. This is why it is necessary to be conscious of consumption behaviors, and take steps such as composting to reduce as much methane emissions as possible.