In celebration of Earth Month, we are highlighting the importance of composting organic waste. Organic waste consists of “material that comes from living organisms such as, … food, food scraps, … yard or green waste, wood, waste manure,” according to FightFoodWatse.com. Composted organic waste, often referred to as “black gold,” gets its colorful name from the dark brown or black nutrient rich soil that is as valuable as gold to gardeners, farmers and vintners.

So Much Waste… Averted
According to the EPA, “over one-third of the food produced in the US is never eaten and… much of it is sent to landfills.” What a waste! (pun intended) Composting has environmental benefits and economic advantages. By improving the soil health, compost reduces the need for costly and unhealthy added chemicals. It can also “increase water retention of soil, improve drought tolerance, … prevent the growth of weeds, [and] boost crop yields” (news.climate.columnia.edu). By keeping food waste out of landfills, composting also reduces the production of methane and helps fight against climate change.

Municipal Composting for the Win
Santa Monica and Los Angeles both operate composting programs. The Sanitation Department provides green bins for residential and multi-family units from which they have collected “1,700 tons per day of green waste from Los Angeles City residents.,” according to LA sanitation.

Black, blue or green? Not sure what to throw into which colored bin? Visit the City of Santa Monica’s website at https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/recycling-compost-or-trash-a-guide-to-what-goes-in-what-bin or LA’s sanitation department website at https://sanitation.lacity.gov/ for a detailed guide. A general rule of thumb is that if it was once alive, it goes into the green bin, i.e. food scraps, yard cuttings, even food-soiled paper. Last night’s greasy pizza box? Bamboo utensils from take-out? Chicken bones? They all go in the green bin. Make sure all food stickers, rubber bands and twisties are removed. A small kitchen pail comes in handy to store your food waste in before you put it in the green bin. SweisKloss’ kitchen designs often include places for compostable material both inside and outside of the house, such as pull-out organizers for waste, recyclables and compost that save counter space.

What Happens To All That Material?
Once collected, the contents of the green bins are taken to processing plants. Locally, Griffith Park Composting Facility turns grass, leaves and “zoo doo” (yes, collected from elephants, zebras, etc.) into compost that is then used in the park (sanitation.lacity.gov). Santa Monica’s green bin collections are “converted into reusable products including compost, mulch or renewable energy to power vehicles and buildings” according to the city’s website. The city also has compost giveaway events. Much of the food waste is composted at large-scale facilities and then sold to farms in the area or to yard care producers, such as TOPGROTM (sanitation.lacity.gov).

Benefits Outweigh Costs
While on the whole composting is beneficial, it does have its drawbacks. Large scale composting operations can be expensive to set up and maintain as they require a complex infrastructure system and processing facilities. Uncovered compost piles also attract pests and wildlife. Then there’s the issue of trucking and its subsequent environmental impacts. However, according to LaList.com, most experts agree “that the overall benefit of avoiding methane emissions by keeping food waste out of landfills outweighs the emissions cost of trucking.”

This Earth Month, do a little magic and turn your greens into black gold.

Black Gold