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The dinner leftovers shoveled into the garbage underneath the sink. The bag of lawn clippings tossed in the trash can. The half-eaten sandwich left on the counter at the deli. These are all familiar images to Americans—at least they are to me. But are you aware just how much all that adds up—and how much perfectly compostable trash heads to the landfill every year?
Try 23 percent of all the solid waste in the nation. That means nearly one quarter of all of the trash we generate should be heading to greener pastures.
Composting yields a host of environmental benefits, like reducing the need to use chemical fertilizer, promoting higher crop output, facilitating reforestation, and suppressing pests and plant disease. Not to mention it preserves landfill space that we should only be using when absolutely necessary.
So if you're not doing it already, here's great guide to composting basics to get you started. And remember, you can easily compost without a yard. Encourage your favorite restaurants to compost, too—everyone wins with an ethical kitchen.
With a little effort, we can drive down that massive percentage of compostable remains—and green our plants and forests while we're at it.
Think you're a green expert? Does your green lifestyle need some tweaks? Watch the exciting green game show hosted by Tom Green, Go for the Green.
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