Composting is an overlooked aspect of reducing the waste stream, according to the Copper Country Recycling Initiative (CCRI). CCRI co-chairman Evan McDonald said compostable materials are a huge fraction of the waste stream. 鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be, but it is,鈥� he said.
Michigan Technological University鈥檚 Dr. Richelle Winkler鈥檚 聽Environmental Sociology class report entitled 鈥淲aste and Recycling Programs in Hancock and Houghton, Michigan and Michigan Technological University: Review and Recommendations鈥� states that leaves, lawn clippings, and tree trimmings account for up to 30 percent of material being dumped into landfills. These are items the can be converted to compost.
鈥淐omposting is an invaluable recycling practice that reduces the amount of materials entering landfill,鈥� The MTU report states. Composting has many more benefits beyond what most people would think. First, the report states, composting saves on landfill tipping fees while reducing the amount of material entering landfills, and second, it reduces the amount of methane (a common greenhouse gas) and acidic leachates produced at landfills.
鈥淎 landfill has its own chemistry,鈥� McDonald said 鈥淭he modern inputs, the things that are being added now, and those anaerobic environments, and those conditions 鈥搕here is a lot of water. They try to keep the water out, but there is still a lot of water and that chemistry is fascinating, but deadly.鈥�
But in addition to the two factors mentioned, composting is essentially creating new topsoil from kitchen scraps, yard and garden waste, and other compostable materials which, in turn, provides valuable nutrients, minerals, and other things to vegetables, flowers and trees, naturally without the need for chemical fertilizers.
鈥淭hese are tried and true things. And even in the city, an apartment resident can use all their own compost if they composted everything,鈥� McDonald said. 鈥淵our flower beds, and container gardening on your patio or whatever, you could give it to your parks department and they could grow trees with it. It鈥檚 nature. It鈥檚 ecology. But what do people do? They use chemical fertilizers.鈥�
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