Sierra Club Supports Composting of Biodegradable Organics
The Sierra Club supports the removal of recyclable and compostable materials from being buried in landfills. Green waste, agricultural waste, food waste, food contaminated paper should be sent to composting operations that produce finished compost to be used to enrich residential and commercial landscape and as agricultural soil supplements. The Club is not opposed to organic processing systems that recover energy during the decomposition process. (Eventually link to Biofuels Guidance if and when it includes discussion of waste products - wood chips, greenwaste, cooking oil, etc.)
The Zero Waste Committee is in the process of drafting guidance on the highest and best use of organics and descriptions of the types of processing currently available, such as invessel composting or enclosed biodigesters that can recover methane for energy recovery while breaking down organics.
Just when we need it, a new tool has been developed to help communities decide among different waste management options. A ground-breaking report prepared for the Niagara Region in Ontario showed that the "true cost" of composting organics is two to four times lower than energy-from-waste (EFW) incineration. The rigorous, peer-reviewed study used a methodology developed by Seattle economist Jeffrey Morris. It also found that disposing of organics in state-of-the-art landfills like Vancouver's, which use methane to generate electricity, has a true cost that is fifty-percent higher than composting.
The "true cost" factors in the environmental and social costs and benefits of different waste management options, allowing policy makers to make good triple-bottom-line decisions.
From the report: "The results show that in the case of the Region of Niagara, the 'True Costs' associated with managing organics are ($15.76) and $32.18 per tonne for composting leaf, yard and brush waste, and food waste respectively, $75.14 per tonne for landfill with gas flaring, 49.37 per tonne for landfill with gas recovery for electricity generation, and from $62.72 - $142.72 per tonne for EFW."
Supermarket Composting Handbook
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has put together a composting handbook for Supermarket operators. The Supermarket Composting Handbook is a field-tested, step-by-step, resource guide designed to help supermarket managers implement and sustain an efficient and effective composting program. This handbook can be adapted to other generators.
