# Disposal of sprouted potatoes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposal-of-sprouted-potatoes/656111>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 19, 2013, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposal-of-sprouted-potatoes/656111 "2013-04-19T07:25:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 15

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disposal-of-sprouted-potatoes/656111/15 "2013-04-19T16:05:57Z")

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> [@johnpost](#):
>
> because it takes up space in the landfill and doesn’t decompose when put there.
> 
> locations prohibit yard waste and organic material in trash because of this.

> [@njtt](#):
>
> 😕 Since when does organic matter not decompose? I think there must be other reasons for that prohibition.

i recall some archeologists doing some core sampling in garbage dumps. i think they brought up corn kernels in a layer with 50 year old newspaper (which is how they dated that depth). i don’t have a cite or more specifics that i recall.

to decompose rapidly takes oxygen. if it is sealed in a landfill there is no oxygen, it will decompose over a geological length time period.

landfills don’t allow yard waste or large quantities of organic matter. they will often have composting programs for this. cost of landfill and transport are too high to allow for compostables now.

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