Why Recycle Food Scraps?

Food scraps are one of the largest components of trash sent to landfills and incinerators. However, food scraps are not trash; they are a resource that can be turned into useful compost.

Recycling food scraps into compost captures their nutrients and energy and returns them to the environment. When food scraps are sent to a landfill or incinerator this resource is lost. In addition, food scraps inside landfills create methane, a greenhouse gas with a stronger warming effect than carbon dioxide. When hauled to an incinerator, food scraps reduce the efficiency of the incinerator because they are wet and heavy and therefore do not burn well.

Composting is a far better way to manage food scraps. Instead of wasting energy burning food or creating methane from landfilling it, composting food scraps yields a useful and valuable product that gives back to our nutrient lifecycle, resulting in cleaner soil, water, and air.

What Is Compost?

Compost is decomposed organic matter that has many beneficial uses, including improving soil health. When you purchase a bag of potting soil or observe your landscaper putting down “dirt,” that is compost.

Compost benefits our landscape by maximizing plant growth, preventing soil erosion, and mitigating the frequency of water, fertilizer, and pesticide use.

By recycling your food scraps you are reducing waste and creating compost – a double win!