3 ms·

At an industrial/commercial scale, there are probably significant challenges ensuring your input stream is all actually compostable. The same sort of problem fa

by ip26 6y ago

At an industrial/commercial scale, there are probably significant challenges ensuring your input stream is all actually compostable. The same sort of problem faced by recycling- which impairs its commercial viability. That said, my county is planning on building a commercial compost facility as part of a strategy to stop spending money building landfills. 50% of our current non-recycling waste stream is allegedly compostable. I hope it pans out.

alexose 6y ago
Good point. I wish we could decide as a society to move away from non-compostable packaging. In most cases, composting seems to be a better, cheaper, and less energy intensive solution than recycling. I have to give Amazon a lot credit towards this effort. They never use glossy cardboard (yay!), and their tape actually breaks down in my compost heap (although the labels don't). I recently got one of their new bubble envelopes, too, which appear to be made out of thick paper and cellulose. Super cool.
pfdietz 6y ago
The local organic grocery switched from polypropylene to compostable cardboard for the containers for their hot food bar. Sounds good, right? But why is it that sauces and oils don't soak into this "compostable" cardboard? Let's dig a bit on the net... hmm. The cardboard is coated with perfluoroalkanoates, chemicals similar to the old Scotchguard that won't break down even in a compost pile. Oh dear.
genericone 6y ago
At commercial scale, I think what is done on more modern farms is cover cropping after a cash crop is harvested, with a winter that kills the cover crop before seeds develop. Before is dies and becomes a thin compost residue layer, the cover crop is photosynthesising and converting carbon dioxide into carbon and other nutrients which exude through the roots into the soils, keeping the microbiology alive for the spring crop. That live soil is going to be as good as compost, and it doesn't need to be disturbed like compost normally is.

by ip26 6y ago

alexose 6y ago

Good point. I wish we could decide as a society to move away from non-compostable packaging. In most cases, composting seems to be a better, cheaper, and less energy intensive solution than recycling. I have to give Amazon a lot credit towards this effort. They never use glossy cardboard (yay!), and their tape actually breaks down in my compost heap (although the labels don't). I recently got one of their new bubble envelopes, too, which appear to be made out of thick paper and cellulose. Super cool.

pfdietz 6y ago

The local organic grocery switched from polypropylene to compostable cardboard for the containers for their hot food bar. Sounds good, right? But why is it that sauces and oils don't soak into this "compostable" cardboard? Let's dig a bit on the net... hmm. The cardboard is coated with perfluoroalkanoates, chemicals similar to the old Scotchguard that won't break down even in a compost pile. Oh dear.

genericone 6y ago

At commercial scale, I think what is done on more modern farms is cover cropping after a cash crop is harvested, with a winter that kills the cover crop before seeds develop. Before is dies and becomes a thin compost residue layer, the cover crop is photosynthesising and converting carbon dioxide into carbon and other nutrients which exude through the roots into the soils, keeping the microbiology alive for the spring crop. That live soil is going to be as good as compost, and it doesn't need to be disturbed like compost normally is.