{"id":7327,"date":"2023-11-15T17:48:24","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T06:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/?p=7327"},"modified":"2024-01-02T14:57:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T03:57:17","slug":"composting-methods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/composting-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Food Waste Breakdown In Landfills?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"7327\" class=\"elementor elementor-7327\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-21accf2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"21accf2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-93f312b\" data-id=\"93f312b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e8175a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2e8175a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Happens to Food Waste in Landfills?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3232a5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c3232a5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>From the surface, sending food waste to landfill may seem harmless.<\/p><p><em>\u201cIt\u2019s natural. It\u2019ll break down and return to the earth, right?\u201d<br \/><\/em><\/p><p>But unfortunately, that\u2019s not the case.<\/p><p>Food waste is harmful when sent to a landfill environment because of the unique conditions \u2013 with a lack of oxygen food will rot and emit methane, a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide.\u00a0<\/p><p>And when we consider that about a third of the world\u2019s food goes to waste (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.climatecouncil.org.au\/from-farm-to-plate-to-the-atmosphere-reducing-your-food-related-emissions\/#:~:text=Here%27s%20a%20scary%20statistic%3A%20If,of%20the%20food%20they%20buy.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>) we\u2019ve got a big problem on our hands.<\/p><p>So, what happens to food waste in landfills? What implications does this have for the environment? And how can we reduce food waste in landfills (hint: the answer lies in your backyard compost!)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c3429f5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c3429f5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-619f47c\" data-id=\"619f47c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1918920 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1918920\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"387\" src=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_169420184-768x512.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-8964\" alt=\"Truck working in landfill with birds looking for food\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_169420184-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_169420184-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_169420184.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04eef42 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"04eef42\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">So, What Actually Happens to Food Waste in Landfills?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-018fd38 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"018fd38\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Landfills are essentially a giant hole in the ground, so you\u2019d be excused for thinking that food waste will break down when you throw it away.<\/p><p>Instead, what actually occurs in landfill is an \u2018anaerobic\u2019 (without air) environment.<\/p><p>In an environment without oxygen, anaerobic microorganisms, such as bacteria and archaea, will thrive and break down organic materials. As the microorganisms consume the organic matter, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas that\u2019s on average 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/environment\/article\/methane\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>). According to the film \u2018Wasted! The Story of Food Waste\u2019, a head of lettuce can take 25 years to decompose in landfill (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ozharvest.org\/food-waste-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wplink-edit=\"true\">source<\/a>).<\/p><p>So, if these methane emissions from food waste aren\u2019t properly managed, they enter our atmosphere and exacerbate climate change.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c8afcf3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c8afcf3\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-636a4e0\" data-id=\"636a4e0\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0e4985 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f0e4985\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How Much Food Waste Ends Up in Landfills?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4970431 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4970431\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><i>A lot. <\/i>In Australia alone, around 3.2 million tonnes of food waste is sent to landfill each year. That means 44% of our food waste isn\u2019t being recycled or recovered (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcceew.gov.au\/environment\/protection\/waste\/food-waste#national-food-waste-baseline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/p><p>Here are some more alarming stats:<\/p><ul><li aria-level=\"1\">One third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted (around 1.3 billion tonnes) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ozharvest.org\/food-waste-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>)<\/li><li aria-level=\"1\">Australian households throw away around one in five bags of groceries, equal to around 312kg per person (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodbank.org.au\/food-waste-facts-in-australia\/?state=nsw-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>)<\/li><li aria-level=\"1\">If food waste were a country it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter behind the USA and China (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcceew.gov.au\/environment\/protection\/waste\/food-waste#:~:text=Why%20we%20need%20to%20reduce%20food%20waste&amp;text=Food%20waste%20produces%20eight%20per,behind%20the%20USA%20and%20China.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>)<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4fa417b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4fa417b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e5a4041\" data-id=\"e5a4041\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f368a88 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"f368a88\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c5d2e49 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c5d2e49\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c592dcd\" data-id=\"c592dcd\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4a368fe elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4a368fe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why Is Food Waste in Landfill a Problem?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2692f90 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2692f90\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Food waste going to landfills causes problems at an economic, social and environmental level.\u00a0<\/p><p>For starters, it takes an incredible amount of time, money and energy to transport waste to landfills, with food waste costing the global economy around $940 billion each year (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ozharvest.org\/food-waste-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p><p>Not only that, the food waste going to landfills could instead help to alleviate world hunger. Right now, there\u2019s enough food produced in the world to feed everyone (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhunger.org\/world-hunger-and-poverty-facts-and-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p><p>And of course, food waste in landfills can negatively affect the environment, acting as a significant contributor to global greenhouse gases.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a237eb5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a237eb5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"387\" src=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1392829997-768x512.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-8980\" alt=\"Pile of bio waste on a vegetable farm\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1392829997-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1392829997-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1392829997.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bb865d elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"6bb865d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47f9b6d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"47f9b6d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What About Compostable Packaging in Landfill? <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41b6876 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"41b6876\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Just like food waste, landfill isn\u2019t the ideal place for compostable packaging to end up (it\u2019s also considered \u2018organic waste\u2019 which can emit methane).\u00a0<\/p><p>In saying that, compostable packaging going to landfill is still better than the alternative: fossil fuel based plastic packaging going to landfill. That\u2019s because traditional plastic packaging is made from energy-intensive, finite fossil-based resources, whereas compostable packaging is made from rapidly renewable, plant-based resources,\u00a0so it has a lower environmental impact.<\/p><p>When we consider the sustainability of a product, we must consider the entire life cycle.\u00a0<\/p><p>With time and more government initiatives, we hope to see composting become widely available so all food waste and compostable packaging ends up in the right place (more on this in a minute).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-913b01c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"913b01c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How Does Food Waste in Landfill Affect the Environment?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f80b91 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f80b91\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Emits Methane <br \/><\/b>Methane is a greenhouse gas that\u2019s on average 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It\u2019s believed this could be worse for the environment than emissions from flying, plastic production and oil extraction (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ozharvest.org\/food-waste-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>). This can drive climate change.<br \/><br \/><\/li><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Wastes Water <br \/><\/b>25% of the water used in agriculture is used to grow food that\u2019s wasted. When thinking about the harmful effects of food waste on the environment, we need to consider the entire food cycle \u2013\u00a0from production all the way to disposal.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><\/li><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Wasted Space <br \/><\/b>Once again, when we consider one third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted, that equates to a lot of agricultural space and land clearing not being used to its full potential.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><\/li><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Release Toxins <br \/><\/b>Decaying food waste in an anaerobic environment can create \u2018leachate\u2019 \u2013 a harmful liquid that leaches from landfills. In many cases, leachate is collected and managed through specialised systems, but if it is not properly contained and removed from landfills, it can leak into the groundwater, causing contamination.<br \/><br \/><\/li><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Biodiversity <br \/><\/b>Clearing land to grow more food for a growing population (because we\u2019re not utilising all the food we have) isn\u2019t just counterproductive, it has a negative impact on biodiversity. Not only that, the toxins released from landfill can expose animals and wildlife to harmful materials.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e96f9e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e96f9e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"387\" src=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1395293291-768x512.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-8966\" alt=\"beautiful foggy dawn of the Sun over a huge field of urban garbage, saturated with poisonous fumes of decomposition of organic waste and household chemicals\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1395293291-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1395293291-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/shutterstock_1395293291.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0e48b51 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0e48b51\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Food Waste in Landfill vs Compost<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e05cb0f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e05cb0f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>So, we now know landfill isn\u2019t the ideal end place for food waste. But how does that compare to composting?<\/p><p>Thankfully, composting is a viable, cost-effective and sustainable alternative to food waste going to landfill.\u00a0<\/p><p>Unlike landfill, a compost bin allows organic waste to be broken down by organisms to create a nutrient-rich fertiliser. This process turns what otherwise would be regarded as a waste product into an incredibly beneficial resource \u2013\u00a0for people and the planet.\u00a0<\/p><p>As a result, composting can reduce carbon emissions, create healthy plants, conserve water, prevent soil erosion and restore habitats.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25bcdc3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"25bcdc3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How To Reduce Food Waste in Landfill<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42dd691 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"42dd691\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Aside from only buying what you need and making the most of the ingredients in your fridge, one of the easiest ways to reduce food waste in landfills (on both an individual and large scale) is to start composting!<\/p><ul><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Start Composting as a Business <br \/><\/b>As a business, composting is often put in the \u2018too hard basket.\u2019 But the truth is, it can be really simple. At Compost Connect. We\u2019re a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to connecting foodservice businesses to compost pickup services.<p>Our platform was designed to make it seamless for restaurants, cafes and other foodservice businesses to get a quote from a composter, add an organic waste bin to their waste disposal, and schedule collection days. All you need to do is type in your postcode or suburb, then see if there\u2019s a compost partner in your area.<\/p><p>If you\u2019re a larger organisation, you could also install an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/commercial-composter2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on-site composting unit<\/a>. This can have a positive impact on the planet and even save you money on waste disposal in the long run.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><ul><li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Start Composting as an Individual <br \/><\/b>If you\u2019re an individual looking to make a difference, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/how-to-make-compost\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">starting a compost<\/a> may be easier than you think (even if you live in a small house or apartment \u2013 there are so many options out there).You can also choose to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/compost-takeaway-packaging2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">support businesses that compost<\/a> and check if your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/councils2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">council offers Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection here.<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Happens to Food Waste in Landfills? From the surface, sending food waste to landfill may seem harmless. \u201cIt\u2019s natural. It\u2019ll break down and return to the earth, right?\u201d But unfortunately, that\u2019s not the case. Food waste is harmful when sent to a landfill environment because of the unique conditions \u2013 with a lack of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recycling-composting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.7 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Happens to Food Waste in Landfills? Compost Connect<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Food waste in landfill emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But just how harmful is this? And what\u2019s a more sustainable alternative?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/composting-methods\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Does Food Waste Breakdown In Landfills?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What Happens to Food Waste in Landfills? From the surface, sending food waste to landfill may seem harmless. \u201cIt\u2019s natural. It\u2019ll break down and return to\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/composting-methods\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Compost Connect\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/compost.connect.global\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-15T06:48:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-02T03:57:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.compostconnect.org\/uk\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/CompostConnect_Blog_HeaderImages_5-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Team Compost Connect\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Team Compost Connect\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Happens to Food Waste in Landfills? 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