Dec 22 - Composting as the Next Frontier for Reducing Waste
CNBC covers the emergence of, and importance of, composting programs in U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Seattle, NYC, and Oregon.
Composting is a natural process by which organic matter is turned back into nutrient-rich soil through bacterial decomposition. For cities, food scraps collection and processing are usually done by a third-party, contracted business who then sell this natural fertilizer to farmers and gardening nurseries.
On top of that, compost "is one of California's keys to tackle drought because it acts as a natural sponge," according to Bob Schaffer, a soil scientist at Soil Culture Consulting.
At CAW, we are a firm believer of composting. This year, we helped enact legislation that addresses food waste and other organics AB 1826 (Chesbro), requiring grocery stores, food processors, restaurants and other large generators to develop and implement strategies for diverting organics/food waste from disposal additionally. Additionally, AB 1594 (Williams) ends the egregious policy of counting landfilled materials as being "diverted from landfills."
These are just the first accomplishments in a CAW ‘Fork to Farm’ campaign to eliminate foodwaste and return organics to the soil. More work needs to be done on the residential side of food waste. Please take a moment to consider supporting our Fork-to-Farm campaign.
Read the full article here.
Photo credit: John Blanding | The Boston Globe | Getty Images