Kloven, Leah. “Library Compost.” 2016. PNG file

“Ultimately sustainability requires thinking in circles” (Litfin). LCA life cycle, systems theory and cradle to cradle analysis are all ways of looking at the full picture which is absolutely essential to addressing issues and progress.

Today we operate largely through a process of linear systems, this is resource extraction, use, and waste. Our industrial food system is based on this model, food is extracted along with the resources it takes to grow the food, it is packaged and processed which in itself is high in resource use and energy, before it is disposed of.

This is in total contrast to the way that nature recycles where animal waste and leaf litter feed the soil which then feeds the plants which feeds the animals. Even consider our breathing in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide which then the trees turn back into oxygen. Nature is circular.

Composting our food waste is a good first step towards imitating nature and working with a circular model. Food waste along with the essential nutrients soil needs from it often ends up in landfills. This not only robs the soil of its needed nutrients but it also contributes to greenhouse gasses in the form of methane gas that is released as food breaks down. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the largest single source of waste in the US is food and 20% of what ends up in the municipal landfills is food. (GERLOCK, 2014) Composting our food waste enriches the soil, it reduces chemical fertilizer needs, and encourages the production of the microbes in soil that are essential to soil as a living system. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, N.D)

Works Cited

GERLOCK, G. (2014, Nov 17). To End Food Waste, Change Needs To Begin At Home. Retrieved from NPR.org: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/11/17/364172105/to-end-food-waste-change-needs-to-begin-at-home

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (N.D). Composting At Home. Retrieved from epa.gov: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home#benefits