Food scraps are the number one material found in landfills, surpassing plastic and paper products. When food waste is dumped in a landfill it rots and emits harmful methane gas. An estimated 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from rotting food. But by composting this waste, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent.
But doesn’t composting require specialized equipment or worms? No. In fact you can get started today using the following steps:
- Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.
- Add brown and green materials as they are collected, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded.
- Moisten dry materials as they are added.
- Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches deep.
- For best results–faster compost and less odor– turn your compost pile every three weeks with a broadfork.
The fun doesn’t stop at food waste. Next time you watch your favorite sports team score a touchdown, or homerun on a manicured grass field, take a moment to think about the tons of grass cuttings discarded to enable this surface to exist!
Croke Park sports stadium in Dublin Ireland, is taking an extra step to reduce their carbon footprint by composting the stadium’s grass cuttings and sharing the resulting compost with members of the local community.
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