Composting’s Benefits Against Climate Change
Composting is the natural process of decomposing organic material, such as food scraps, grass trimmings, and leaves, into nutrient-rich soil, which can then be used for gardening and agriculture. Composting is an important and effective practice that contributes to being sustainable and combating climate change.
Composting’s primary benefit is its ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When organic waste is broken down without oxygen in landfills, methane gas is produced. Methane traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, making it 80 times more environmentally harmful. It is also responsible for around 30 percent of the current rise in global temperature. Composting is a sustainable alternative method to decomposing organic waste in a way that minimizes environmental impact. Along with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, composting reduces waste in landfills. The total amount of municipal solid waste generated in landfills during 2018 was 292.4 million tons, with 21.6 percent of it being comprised of food waste, making it the fourth largest waste category. However, composting can reduce these numbers and recycle nutrients back into the soil, improving sustainable efforts.
Composting is also beneficial for enhancing soil health and promoting plant growth, which is crucial for combating climate change. The incorporation of compost into garden soil has numerous benefits, such as balancing the soil density and its pH, suppressing pests, and discouraging certain weeds. Soil containing imbalanced nutrients is most vulnerable to being invaded by pests and weeds. However, compost provides a balanced amount of nutrients to the soil, cultivating a better environment for food growth and carbon storage. The soil is home to many organisms, like insects, bacteria, and fungi, which help break down organic waste and store the carbon in the soil. These land ecosystems absorb 28 percent of the carbon emitted into the atmosphere. Without this carbon sink, climate change would become more severe.
In addition, nutrients from compost reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, which are contributors to climate change. The production and application of chemical fertilizers contribute to an estimated 5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Immense amounts of energy are needed to manufacture chemical fertilizers, resulting in the emission of large amounts of carbon dioxide. Along with manufacturing, the use of fertilizers releases large amounts of nitrous oxide — a greenhouse gas that is 300 times stronger than carbon dioxide. Due to the large amount of nutrients in organic waste, compost could be an alternative to chemical fertilizers, reducing any negative agricultural impact on climate change.
Composting plays a significant role in combating climate change by decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, reducing waste in landfills, enhancing the carbon sink in the soil, and replacing fertilizers. As food waste continues to remain an issue today, it is essential to encourage composting habits and practices to directly lessen the threat of climate change.
