I just read in Real Simple magazine that composting is worth it because “putting less trash on the curb reduces the amount of fuel required to haul it away. Plus, composting food scraps, like apple cores, keeps them out of landfills, where they can break down to release a potent greenhouse gas.”
Two questions and one comment:
Are there really people that get the shaft at the end of the garbage route because the truck is full and has to go empty itself and then come back for the last guy’s load (makes sense, I just thought the compactor on the truck was fairly efficient)
Apple cores and other compost-friendly food scraps are going to break down anyway, right? So, wouldn’t that mean that they are going to release the same gases? Regardless of if they’re breaking down in a landfill or your compost heap?
Comment: No, I don’t ALWAYS believe everything I read…usually only the stuff on this board.
p.s. please keep the “Wow, you suck! You read Real Simple?” comments to a minimum.
Not sure. In a landfill, things break down very, very slowly, and also more or less anaerobically - whereas in a compost heap, anaerobic decomposition is to be avoided - so there could well be different products of decomposition.
On average, the amount of garbage doesn’t vary much from one week to the next* on a given route. So the haulers know how much to expect, and size the routes so the truck will be full just as they reach the end of the route.
If it does fill up early, they just haul that load away, and come back (or send another truck) to finish the rest of the route. I don’t see how that gives ‘the shaft’ to the people toward the end of the route – their garbage gets collected, just a bit later in the day than usual.
*There are some times of the year when garbage does show increases. Just after Xmas is one time. But the extra there is largely wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, and other packing material. Most of this compresses well, so it usually doesn’t present much of a problem for the garbage collectors.
I think the extra fuel here is not from making an extra trip, but just the fact that hauling more weight will cause the truck to use up more fuel to provide the extra force needed.
We’re also not talking about the fuel savings from 3lbs of your personal coffee grounds and apple cores. It’s the savings of having the overall amount of garbage reduced 5-10%. If your town hauls garbage any significant distance, the savings add up.
Yes, but apparently it doesn’t compost well by itself. It is very carbon-rich, ideally you would like something very nitrogen-rich (like manure) to mix in with it for more efficienct composting.
We use this product called Carefresh as litter for our pet rabbit. It is essentially coarse paper, or shredded cardboard. It composts eventually but of course by the time it gets to the compost heap it is already mixed in with a very nitrogen-rich substance, namely rabbit droppings.
I assume that generally a garbage truck fills up at least once during the day. If it didn’t, the town would be able to buy smaller trucks, right?
Generally, garbage in a landfill does decay anaerobically (without much oxygen present). That means it decays to methane (CH4) instead of carbon dioxide (CO2). Per molecule, methane is much more potent at greenhouse-ing. So, yes, assuming your compost pile is turned regularly, then composting your apple core will create less greenhouse gas equivalent than throwing it into a landfill.
A couple other reasons to compost: First, it saves the town money, because they don’t have to pay the landfill to take as much garbage. Since you pay taxes to the town one way or another, this means you save money! Second, you get compost at the end, which is great for your or a friend’s garden.
