4 ms·
When organic mass is sent to the landfill instead of being composted, it decomposes without oxygen, buried in the fill. Anaerobic digestion produces methane, wh
by cmckn 4y ago
When organic mass is sent to the landfill instead of being composted, it decomposes without oxygen, buried in the fill. Anaerobic digestion produces methane, while aerobic digestion only produces carbon dioxide. Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
- jefftk 4y agoYes, if your landfill doesn't make any attempt to capture methane. Modern landfills, however, generally do, and this can be much cheaper than running a separate collection and handling system for compost. The captured methane can either be flared off, or used as a fuel.
- cmckn 4y agoFair point, and I think most of the older fills at the Denver/Arapahoe site have flares retrofitted. Composting also produces agricultural substrate, but whether or not large-scale industrial composting of single-use products is a net benefit is definitely debatable. I think there’s a clearer benefit to composting your own food waste, which is generally very practical if you have a bit of space.