Currently, the United States leads the world in food waste. The EPA estimated that 40.7 million tons of food waste was generated in 2017 alone. Composting is a great approach for businesses to save valuable resources, divert more waste from landfills, and reduce waste costs overall. Businesses can compost their organics to create nutrient-rich, healthy soil that businesses can use for their own agricultural purposes or donate to another business or local organization such as a community garden. Adding composting to a waste management strategy could provide financial benefits as well as supporting a businesses’ waste reduction and zero waste goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
When materials are composted, it adds nutrients and organic material back to soil, reduces our reliance on synthetic fertilizers, diverts methane-producing organic material from landfill, and improves the soil’s water retention capacity.
BUSINESS BENEFITS
Businesses that throw away a lot of food likely have large and heavy waste containers. Composting allows businesses to divert waste from these heavy containers, oftentimes reducing waste pickup frequency and ensuring a significant amount of money on waste costs.
Get free assistance from WLSSD for recycling food waste from your business here.