Where Does Your Trash Go?

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), most commonly called garbage or trash, consists of items we use and then throw away. In 2012, Americans generated 251 million tons of trash. Organic materials make up the largest percentage of MSW. As you can see in the chart below, the majority of MSW is materials that can be composted.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “Reducing, reusing, recycling, and rebuying—the four "Rs"—is key to diverting organic materials from landfills or incinerators and protecting human health and our land, air, and water. Waste reduction and recycling prevents greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reduces pollutants, saves energy, conserves resources, and reduces the need for new disposal facilities…Yard trimmings and food residuals by themselves constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream Composting offers the obvious benefits of resource efficiency and creating a useful product.”

As a nation, we have made remarkable strides towards recycling these materials, primarily through the development of effective composting technologies. Whereas in 1990 recovery via composting only diverted 2% of the total solid waste stream, we now recover 20% through composting, including 62% of all yard trimmings (USEPA, 2006a). Unfortunately, confusion over how to deal with global climate change among some members of industry, government, and the general public threatens to undo these gains. That is where composting comes into play!