Food (Scraps) for Thought: Composting and Food Waste
Hey there! It’s pretty cool that you clicked on this blog to read about composting. I think compost gets a bad reputation because sometimes it’s stinky. The truth is your compost shouldn’t smell if you are taking care of it properly. Composting is arguably one of the best things you can do if you want to be more sustainable, and it doesn’t have to be a complicated thing - it’s actually quite simple. So in this blog, I want to convince you that you should be composting and give you options for how to do so.
First, I need to lay out some facts. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has resources about composting, but essentially, it’s fantastic for enriching soil. It reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, methane emissions at landfills, and your carbon footprint. From an environmental point of view, it is pretty awesome to take your food scraps and let them turn into healthy soil. However, leaving it at that would be neglecting the elephant in the room, which is that people - especially Americans - waste too much food.
We can’t pretend that food waste isn’t a problem. In the U.S., food waste takes up the most space in landfills1. While food waste could decompose, when it’s thrown in a plastic bag and sent to landfill, it is still a huge contributor to methane emissions. Therefore, the first thing to do is reduce your individual food waste. Granted, food waste is not just a problem caused by individuals. Food waste is a complicated issue because a lot of food is wasted throughout the process starting at the farms all the way to the supermarkets. Think about it: perfectly imperfect produce that could be used to feed hungry people is often tossed because it’s “ugly.” This is a problem that demands systematic changes. However, consumers can make small changes that make a difference. So here’s what you can do regardless of your living situation:
If you want to buy the ugly produce:
Check out Imperfect Foods. A company that will deliver your groceries to your front door, but the produce is imperfect in some way.
If you’re ready to compost:
Research the best way for you to compost at home. Depending on the amount of space you have available, your best options will vary.
You could buy a compost bin. They range in price.
You could dig a hole in the ground and build your compost “bin” in the ground. Note that you’ll still need a lid.
If you live in an apartment complex, see if there is a composting service included. The graduate housing at UCSB has a compost bin for students to throw their food scraps in.
If there isn’t a program in place, start one! Talk to the housing office and petition for it to be added to your complex. As cheesy as it sounds, be the change!
There are also services you can pay for that will pick up your compost for you even if your city doesn’t pick up your compost and you don’t want to deal with it in your yard/balcony.
If you live in a dorm, look for compost bins on campus (SDSU has some) and toss your food scraps there. However, dining halls are probably wasting more food than individual students, so see if there is a way to help reduce the food waste happening at that level.
Hopefully this blog has informed and inspired you to make a change to take action. There are so many ways to compost, and if done correctly and taken out regularly, it’s a pretty clean process. I think our society thinks of solid as gross - I mean, we call it dirt. But the reality is that soil is essential for life. We should take pride in helping make healthy soil that will nourish our plants.
References:
https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-waste-america/
