Many of us make New Year’s resolutions every year, to help us achieve our financial goals or to improve our health, but not too many of us make those New Year’s resolutions for environmental reasons.
However, if you’re concerned about having a smaller environmental footprint, and saving money while you’re at it, here are 9 simple and effective green New Year’s resolutions that you can put into practice this new year.
There are currently 7.8 billion people living on Earth today and as the world’s population continues to grow, our requirement for food will also increase.
As I continue on taking on new Green Resolutions, I am thinking of how I can create lasting environmental changes in my life that will go well beyond this 52 weeks this "green challenge" I've created is asking for. I am attempting to slowing adjust my diet to eventually become vegan. I am SLOOOOOOOWWLY taking steps to increase my protein, reduce (or eliminate) sugars, and eliminating meat from my diet. I struggle with it daily in the decisions I make on what I should eat, but I am conscious to being kind and forgiving because I know this is a habit transformation and I should celebrate the baby steps and, eventually, succeed in that will lead to lasting change in my diet.
I'm reading Potatoes Not Prozac to help increase protein and reduce my sugar intake.
This week for Green Resolutions, I have eliminated all meat from my diet (aka became vegetarian).
I was tested day 1 of this decision. I was invited to a friend's mothers birthday party where her mother served a delicious Oaxacan dish, the main part of the meal being a freshly killed goat. There definitely is a social aspect of being a vegetarian that actually makes it difficult to be a vegetarian. A plate of goat meat and soup with goat meat was placed in front of me by the birthday girl herself and... well.... I couldn't be rude and reject her meal! So I ate the meat. I did ask where the goat was raised and what the farm was like and I am somewhat happy to report that the goat was grown on a local, small farm where the goats are treated very well (comparatively speaking).
It's really been an adjustment, luckily Colby and I have a delicious vegetable soup we LOVE to eat, so I made a big pot of that and plan on living off of it for several weeks until I adjust.
Of course, the main reason I want to stop eating meat, and eventually go vegan, is environmental. If you're interested in learning the environmental impacts of the Agriculture industry and livestock farms, check out the facts I've gathered below!
Cows and sheep are responsible for 37% of the total methane (warming the Earth 23times more than CO2) generated by human activity.
The livestock industry also generates 65% of human-related nitrous oxide, which has 300 times the Global WarmingPotential (GWP) of CO2. Most of this comes from manure. One cow’s annual output of methane — about 100 kilograms — is equivalent to the emissions generated by a car burning 235 gallons of gasoline!!!!!!
Pollution of our waterways is caused by animal waste, antibiotics and hormones entering the water cycle alongside chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers, and the pesticides used to spray feed crops
Manure, or waste water containing manure, severely harms river and stream ecosystems. Farmed animals produce about 130 times as much excrement as the entire human population of the United States. Since factory farms don't have sewage treatment systems as our cities and towns do, this concentrated slop ends up polluting our water, destroying our topsoil, and contaminating our air.
Thirty percent of the earth’s entire land surface—a massive 70% of all agricultural land—is used for rearing farmed animals. Much of this is grazing land that otherwise would host natural habitats such as valuable rainforests. And, of the entire world’s land suitable for growing crops that would otherwise directly feed humans, a third of it is used to produce feed for farmed animals.
Livestock production is responsible for 70% of deforestation in the Amazon region of Latin America, where rainforests are being cleared to create new pastures.
From tropical rain forests in Brazil to ancient pine forests in China, entire ecosystems are being destroyed to fuel humans’ addiction to meat.
Deforestation increases greenhouse gas emissions by releasing carbon previously stored in the trees.
A single pig consumes 21 gallons of drinking water per day, while a cow on a dairy farm drinks as much as 50 gallons daily.
It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of cow flesh, whereas it takes about 180 gallons of water to make 1 pound of whole wheat flour.
Livestock account for over 8 percent of global human water use.
I believe my "environmentalism" began with a very strong desire to get people to recycle. It seemed to me like such a simple yet important action.
Over the years, my knowledge of caring for the environment in a more profound way has developed and, frankly, recycling is now a minute (extremely small) thing that I do and assume everyone else in our country knows how to do correctly.
This is NOT the case. From elementary schools to big-named businesses, people's homes to colleges, people are NOT applying correct recycling practices.
This is why I decided to write a blog about correct recycling practices, while also applying them to my own life. I've made a list of common things that should be recycled and other items that can be recycled that you may not have known.
For the record, I pretty much copied and pasted this information from 2 sources:
1) http://search.earth911.com/ This website is AMAZING. Type any item you are questioning to recycle and it will tell you where it can go.
2) https://www.phoenix.gov/residents/garbage The City of Phoenix (or whatever city your from) website tells you everything that is able to go in your curbside recycle bin.
Recyclable Materials for the City of Phoenix:
Paper
Cardboard, Food Boxes, Junk Mail, Wet Strength, Paper Board, Newspaper, Magazines, Phone Books, Juice Boxes
Shredded Paper (Must be placed in Clear Plastic Bags)
Not recyclable: photographs, hardback or paperback books, blueprints, heat sensitive receipt paper
Plastic
All hard plastic containers, including buckets, plastic jugs and bottles with or without caps
Not recyclable: Plastic bags (you can take them to your local grocery store as part of the Bag Central Station program) and Plastic Pipe
Glass
Glass Bottles and Jars, Food Grade Glass Containers
Not recycleable: window panes, mirrors, light blubs, windshields, car windows, treated glass, glass table tops, televisions (for TV’s contact Westech Recyclers at 602-256-7626)
Metal
Aluminum Cans, Metal Cans, Small Metal Appliances Small metal appliances, such as toasters, irons, pots and pans, may be placed in your blue Phoenix Recycles container.
Small lawn mowers and barbecues may also be recycled., Empty Aerosol Cans
No paint, pesticides, oven cleaners
Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics
Do you have the following items you're trying to dispose of?
Auto related fluids (up to 5 gallons total)
Vehicle batteries
Rechargeable batteries
Electronics
Household appliances
Fire extinguishers
Propane gas cylinders (5lbs or 1lb)
Pesticides-herbicides/insecticides
Pool chemicals
Household Paint (no more than 10 gallons total)
Tires up to 5 (Oversized tires are not accepted)
Take them to the City of Phoenix's Household Hazardous Waste Event.
Click this link to find future dates: https://www.phoenix.gov/publicworks/garbage/hazwaste/collection-events
Batteries:
Places that accept batteries are Batteries Plus and Staples. They accept:
lead acid (Pb) batteries used in cars, trucks and emergency lighting, Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries used in cordless phones, cordless tools and two way radios, Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries used in camcorders, bar code scanners and digital cameras, Lithium Ion (Li Ion) or Lithium Polymer (Li Poly) used in cell phones and laptops.
Even though styrofoam is completely recyclable, Phoenix does not accept it because it is not a marketable or cost effective commodity. However, UPS accepts #6 plastic peanuts
What I learned was recyclable that surprised me:
1) Aerosol Cans – Empty- However, City of Phoenix does not accept pesticide, oven cleaner, or spray paint aerosol cans.
2) Aluminum Foil
3) Small Appliances- City of Phoenix accepts scrap metal under 25 pounds including small appliances.
Just to reiterate, the following items are NOT to be put in the recycle bin:
· No plastic bags of any kind, whether they have a recycling symbol or not
· No pool chemical/household hazardous waste containers
Putting Bamenda on Blast! The Environmental State of Bemenda, Cameroon. (Weeks 18 and 19)
As stated in my last Green Resolution, Present on Climate Change, I recently took a trip with my husband, our friend Brian, and my father-in-law to Cameroon, Africa. The intentions were the following:
1) Help out in whatever way with our Cameroonian brother's environmental non-profit called The Greens.
2) Film a "documentary" for The Greens to promote their work.
3) Film music videos for Colby and Awu (Awu is another brother of ours in Cameroon we met on our first trip. Colby and Awu have created a CD of beautiful music since our visit in 2012).
4) Celebrate the holidays.
I'm happy to say we were able to accomplish all of the above! I also took this trip as an opportunity to learn a lot about the environmental state of Bamenda. I was quite stunned at certain environmental practices I noticed this time that I was oblivious to my first trip to Cameroon, specifically in the realm of waste management, water and energy use. I'll get to my observations/learnings that may seem like I'm putting "Bamenda on blast" shortly. First, let's look at the positive things we did for the environment during our trip:
1) Adopt-A-Street: The Greens coordinates a street clean-up periodically and collaborates with the "quarter head" to ring a gong and make an announcement of the clean up. This advertises the clean-up and allows for more members of the quarter to participate. Boy was there a lot of trash. Not even a half mile stretch of road took about 10 of us associated with The Greens to clean up- not to mention the various community members who also came out to support the clean up. It was a serious reward to see the dirt road we cleared after the 2 hours.
2) Green Radio: Each Saturday morning Ngalim, along with other members of The Greens, host a 1 hour radio program called "Green Radio". Here they "bleed green blood, live green lives, spit out green words, think green, eat green." This was my favorite Green program of the trip. There is something SO empowering about having your voice heard on the radio. This particular radio station (ABAKWA FM) is the most listened to in Bamenda, among other areas. While on the show I was able to share about this blog, my suggestions to Bamenda to "go green' over the holidays, and we all shared our "Green Resolutions" for the New Year!
3) Planting Trees: I've found a rival to my favorite spot in the world, the Grand Canyon. It's called Manna Gardens. This was one of the most beautiful, peaceful, and sustainable places I have seen. Pa Willie created this location in hope for future tourists in Cameroon to come and be one with nature. He's still in the process of putting the place together for people to come and stay, but he has formed a partnership with The Greens to plant trees at Manna Garden that were good for the following 4 uses: beauty, shelter, medicine, and food. We had the bounty of going there twice and both were highlights of our trip to Cameroon.
Now for the blasting......
Of course everything I am writing is not actually intended to put Bamenda on blast. It's just fun alliteration. Some of the practices I've observed, I believe, are a result of western influence Cameroon has adopted without proper follow-up procedures. Other issues are still a mystery to me and other Cameroonians. My Green Resolution for our trip was to learn about environmental issues apparent in another part of the world. One thing I've learned in the Climate Change course is that it is a global issue in terms of its consequences and causes. The impacts are long term and will affect various parts of the world in different ways and to different degrees. I know a bit about what is happening here in Phoenix and in the U.S., but what about Bamenda?
Water Scarcity: The Case of the Missing Water
When I turn the knob on my sink, I expect water to come out. If it doesn't, I call someone to come out and fix the problem. I've never been without running water. In Bamenda, thousands of families have been without running water for several weeks. One day it just stopped flowing and has yet to resume.
The city gets its water from 2 sources: community reserved water and state owned, privatized water. The community water is collected at a spout that can be found somewhere within a neighborhood within walking distance and is available for all. The state privatized water is the water that flows into homes. This is the water that, in several parts of Bamenda, has stopped flowing.
Why, you may ask? No one had an answer. It was uncertain exactly why the water wasn't flowing or when it would turn back on. I spoke with Ngalim's extended family that was among one of the homes without running water. Several times a day to carry out various tasks like cooking, cleaning, or bathing, someone in the family had to carry a few large containers to the local community well to collect water. This well water, they stated, was good to use for most things, but not for drinking. Normally the state privatized water was what they drank. Now, they had to walk, take a taxi or motor bike to an area in Bamenda that did have flowing water. Thinking about how careful they had to be with the water they collected each day, conserving and reusing it while washing their clothes, boiling it before cooking their food, being careful to not waste any of it because that would mean more trips to lug heavy containers of water to their home. In addition to those daily modifications, wondering how you will get access to clean water to drink. Who will travel to a neighboring quarter to fetch the clean drinking water for you and your family? Will you buy bottled water that is 500x the price of the water that should be flowing out of their tap? When will the water be turned back on?!
Waste Management: What the heck are they supposed to do with all these plastics?
As you walk through the streets of Bamenda you can't help but noticing a few things. One may be the lush foliage atop the sprawling hills that surround the town. Another may be the people who are not shy to smile or say "Good afternoon" when greeted. Something in addition you most definitely will notice is the waste.
I remember the shock and frustration I felt my first day in Cameroon back in 2012 when I was not 1 hour out of the airport and saw a woman just drop her bottle of water in the street and continue walking. The nerve! I quickly mentioned this to my new Cameroonian friends, to which they replied, "She probably doesn't know where else is she supposed to put it." This response is probably what everyone else in Cameroon, more specifically Bamenda, is thinking. I'm walking down the road, I've just finished my snack, there are NO public trash cans, and therefore, I throw it on the ground.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I know my second time around I thought that very thing once I was finished with a bottle of water or a snack. Here is a list of the things I've observed or learned about Bamenda's waste management:
1) In lieu of public trash bins, you'll see a designated pile of trash on the road where individuals or household will dump their waste.
2) The Bamenda City Counsel (BCC) has placed large dumpsters in quarters where people live, but close enough to the road for pick up, where individuals or homes will dump their waste and can be ensured of pick up.
3) The 2 main methods of disposal of waste are burying or burning. I was informed that the BCC picks up the waste from the dumpsters and bury it. However, it was an everyday occurrence that you would see those large dumpster, in addition to the small piles previously mentioned, smoking large black clouds filling the air. I was told the dumpsters being set ablaze were done by community members, without BCC's approval, to reduce the amount of trash in the bin.
It was one of the saddest things to see in Bamenda. So many disposables being improperly disposed of. So many plastics not able to be recycled. To me, this was a clear example of Western throwaway culture making its way to a region whose waste was mostly organic to begin with but now has disposable products paired with an underdeveloped waste management system which, together, results in litter strewn everywhere and piles of burning trash filling the lungs of its inhabitants.
Silver lining?
I was told the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development has launched a sensitization campaign aimed at informing and educating the population on the negative impacts of plastic bags. The hopes is to make available biodegradable bags for use- but they are not yet widely available and the plastic bags that have already been bought are still circulating.
Here's a very well-written article about the issue of plastic bags in Bamenda-
Energy Conservation of the Individuals of Bamenda:
Here's where I stop "blasting" Bamenda so much and start learning from and applying their practices in my life.
Energy production is responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions compared to all other sectors- responsible for almost 26% of total emissions. Energy conservation is a measure that should be taken to reduce its effects.
At home in Phoenix, I have a lot of free time to do things, like write this blog, because of the time I save from having to wash my clothes or dishes by hand, call someone out to fix any problem in my home, and have the convenience of buying food already prepared from time to time. Almost everyone I met in Bamenda worked SO hard to feed their families using food from their farm, washed clothes by hand each day, and did what needed to be done in their home themselves. The results of this are a SIGNIFICANT reduction in their individual energy consumption, healthier, STRONGER bodies, skill-building and a very impressive work-ethic.
Oneness of Humanity-Ubuntu
To wrap up this blog post, I wanted to mention the most important thing I learned from the people of Bamenda, which is, the ONENESS OF HUMANKIND.
During my stay both times in Bamenda, I never once felt like I wasn't accepted or loved for who I was or where I came from. I was always warmly accepted into the homes of the people there. In my heart, I really feel like the people in Bamenda are my family. I will no longer to go visit Bamenda to be a "volunteer". I'll go to work alongside my family members and support their initiatives.
In the climate change course materials, it states that the oneness of humanity will help us to "decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities." Because of this unity our perspective of climate change will change. When we regard the world s just one country and humankind as one family, with such a consciousness we equally value the lives of people in other countries who may often be poor or of a different race.
"The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens" - Baha'u'llah
"Ubuntu, it's from the motherland of Africa, the essence of the word means that I am one with you." - Colby and Awu
I have been unbelievably blessed recently. I have been offered the opportunity to travel, for a second time, to Bamenda, Cameroon with my husband, his (our) friend Brian, and my Father-In-Law Richard. We will be traveling soon to Cameroon to reunite with our friend Ngalim to volunteer with this organization The Greens.
According to Ngalim:
"The Greens is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian and apolitical youth enviro-agricultural and health organization that connects, inspires and collaborates with young change-makers to build thriving, just and sustainable ways of life for all.
The Greens is an association of youth-green fingers (global citizens) of both sexes and diverse cultural and religious backgrounds who strive to uproot environmental and health injustices through action and education; thus drawing inspiration from the color green, our ultimate goal is to Paint the World Green."
Ngalim is an amazingly proactive, passionate, and well-educated environmentalist. I am proud to call him a friend and mentor.
In order to prepare ourselves for our upcoming trip, Colby, Richard, Brian, Ngalim and myself took a Climate Change course offered by the Wilmette Institute to deepen our understanding on the topic. It was an INTENSE 8 week course that, in all honesty, I have yet to finish because of the amount of reading we have to do. However, it was extremely beneficial. The Wilmette Institute is a Baha'i sponsored online learning platform. Because the course was developed through the lens of religion, it covered both the spiritual and scientific aspects of climate change.
As a teacher, I strongly believe positive, sustainable changes happen through education. It then seemed obvious that a presentation should be given on our leanings from the Climate Change course.
We were having a benefit lunch to raise money for our trip to Cameroon and it seemed an appropriate time to present on climate change to our friends and family who were supporting us. The presentation was prepared by my now environmentalist husband, Colby. The presentation, discussions and questions ended up being about an hour long. We even had some climate change-skeptics in the crowd but we practiced toleration of our varying views and felt content knowing that we were able to create a safe space for people to discuss this issue.
I cannot share with you our entire presentation... that would make for an extremely long blog post. However, I will share my top insights given during the presentation:
1) Sustainability – Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
2) Spiritual Principles needed to mitigate climate change: Respect of the Earth’s finite carrying capacity, equity and justice in the distribution of wealth and natural resources, wisdom in looking towards the future, and unity in addressing challenges
3) Harmony of science and religion- both are tools to investigate reality.
Science asks “How does the universe work?”
Religion asks “Why is there a universe and what is its purpose? And what is my purpose?”
4) Climate Change and Global Warming Are Fact, Not Opinion
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which includes some of the world’s top scientists in Climatology, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, Oceanography, Biology, among other scientific disciplines, the global scientific community is “virtually certain” (99-100%) that the climate system is warming and has concluded that it is “extremely likely” (95-100%) that human influence is the dominant cause
5) Some impacts of climate change are:
Melting of Glaciers and Polar Ice Caps
Sea Level Rise
More Extreme Weather Events and Changes in Weather Patterns
Soil Erosion and Desertification
Deforestation and Forest Degradation
•Loss of Biodiversity
Ocean Acidification
Increase in Human Conflicts
6) Individual and societal actions to mitigate climate change must involve rethinking how we use energy (e.g. carbon-free power), transportation (e.g. walk, bike, public transport), and food (e.g. Organic and sustainable agriculture.
A teaching from the one of the leaders of the Baha'i faith, Shoghi Effendi, on individual and societal care of the environment states:
“We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life molds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”
Did you know that the average woman has her period once a month for around 40 years and uses somewhere between 11,000-17,000 tampons in a lifetime adding up to a whopping 250 to 300 pounds of garbage and $3,000 spent on pads, plugs, and applicators?
I didn’t…
This week on Green Resolutions I thought about taking an inevitable event that happens in my life whether I like it or not and greening it up a bit. How to turn “My friend in her little red car”, as some call their menstrual cycle, into “my friend driving a hybrid car”?
I’ve spoken with a couple friends about the idea of a menstrual cup. A menstrual cup is a silicone cup that fits into your vagina and can stay there for up to 12 hours and has the potential to last for several years depending on each individual’s usage and care taken to preserve it.
The idea of a “cup” made me squeamish but I felt confident that I could adjust my way of doing things “down there” for the sake of the environment.
I read several reviews of The Diva Cup that ranged from horrifying stories of getting it “stuck”, to the cup leaking, feeling very uncomfortable and causing severe cramping. Despite the negative reviews, there were several positive reviews of The Diva Cup being comfortable, reliable, and easy to use once you get the hang of it. The biggest factor for me was safety and the cup being much more environmentally friendly. So I bought it for $30.
A week after purchasing it, my friend in her little red car came by for her monthly visit (aka, I got my period). It was, like, 1:30 am when I woke up realizing I needed to take care of this situation and, I’m sorry, but at 1:30 in the morning I was not ready to use a silicone cup for the very first time. So I used a tampon and fell asleep.
I woke up and was ready to make the switch.Without going into too many graphic details, I had no problems with the cup.
It was a bit nerve-wrecking to take it out for the first time and getting through the whole“I think the cup is stuck!” bit involved a lot of self-talk, but I got through it with no incidents.
I’m happy to say that I think I’m hooked on The Diva Cup!
Additionally, I researched health impacts of using tampons and pads and didn’t like what I read. Here’s an excerpt from anarticle written by Alanna Ketler via Collective Evolution:
"Almost all sanitary napkins and tampons are made with bleached rayon, cotton and plastics. These products can leave behind fibers in your vagina that can cause bladder or vaginal infections, and the dreaded Toxic Shock Syndrome. Tampons are also known to absorb the natural fluids and bacteria’s that the vagina produces to stay clean and healthy. The number 1 ingredient in generic tampons and sanitary napkins is Rayon. Rayon is a fiber that is made from cellulose fibers, cellulose is a natural fiber, but to produce Rayon chemical procedures are needed that include: carbon disulphide, sulfuric acid, chlorine and caustic soda. Side effects from exposure to too much Rayon can include: nausea, vomiting, chest pain, headaches and many others. Tampons and pads are also bleached using chlorine, which results in the production of dioxin, which is linked to breast cancer, endometriosis, immune system suppression and various other ailments."
I found this nice visual of random facts on the history of the tampon:
Ever since Colby and I joined a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) program (week 8) and cutting beef out of our diet (week 14), we've been heavily consuming vegetables to make our meals at home.
Week 2 of Green Resolution- No Plastic Grocery Bags, has also stopped me from using those thick plastic trash bags that cover scents oh so well. I now use a Planet Wise reusable trash bag which does not smell pretty after several days of rotting fruit/vegetable scraps.
Because there is such an abundance of fruit/veggie scraps, I asked myself how can I be less wasteful and more resourceful with the waste I'm producing. The answer was as clear as dirt!
The eventual solution I found was to start composting.
How does one compost in a condo with no garden of their own and no yard to call their own? Simple! Call your father-in-law and ask him if you can bring your compost scraps to his Compost Tumblers so he can use it on his garden. Duh!
Me and my compost bin!
Part of my father and Mother-in-Law's garden
Open containers....... dump........close........spin container to mix compost
For those of you whose father-in-laws do not have their own compost bins or gardens… Perhaps considering doing 1 or more of the following suggestions:
1) Start a garden in your home! Use the compost for your soil.
2) If you have no interest in starting a garden, ask a neighbor if they'd like your compost scraps.
3) if you have no interest in starting a garden nor does your neighbor, find a SCHOOL in your neighborhood you can donate it to. Several schools (including mine!) in my school district have gardens and would LOVE your donation.
4) Find a local community garden and offer your compost to them.
5) If 1-4 fail, ask a master gardener in your area their advice. They'll definitely know more info/resources than I! http://extension.arizona.edu/maricopamg
Something else cool I found out: The City of Phoenix has a new landfill diversion program that begun this past July as part of a larger sustainability initiative to divert 40% of yard waste into reusable resources by 2020.
Joe Trujillo, assistant public works director at the Phoenix Public Works Department, said there is great potential for otherwise disposed waste to be put a valuable use.
“There is no such thing as trash,” he said. “There are only resources.”
The “Green Organics Curbside Collection” program will give residents the option of receiving a new tan bin in which they would deposit all grass clippings, shrubs, branches and twigs for an additional $5 per month. The first phase will make the bins available to residents living within certain areas in the central corridor of Phoenix.
The organic material would then be transported to a new facility off 27th Avenue developed by the ASU Global Institute of Sustainability, where it will be converted into usable compost.
BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING:
Compost enriches soil-
Materials in a compost encourage helpful micro-organisms (bacteria and fungi for example) to break down organic matter into a nutrient-filled material known as humus… no not hummus like the kind you eat to make vegetables taste better. Humus contributes to moisture and nutrient retention in soil and ward off plant diseases and pests- decreasing the need for chemical fertilizers.
Compost helps clean contaminated soil-
During the composting process, icky things like Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be emitted as gases from things like paint, cleaners, or pesticides, or polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are created when products like coal, oil, gas, and garbage are burned, are absorbed and treated or completely eliminated.
Compost helps prevent pollution
Composting organic materials that have been diverted from landfills ultimately avoids the production of methane and leachate (water acquiring properties from the crap it comes in contact with) formulation in the landfills. Compost has the ability to prevent pollutants in stormwater runoff from reaching surface water resources. Compost has also been shown to prevent erosion on banks parallel to creeks, lakes, and rivers,
Using compost helps the economy!
Using compost can reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. It serves as a marketable good and is a low-cost alternative to standard landfill cover and artificial soil amendments. Composting also extends municipal landfill life by averting organic materials from landfills and provides a less costly alternative to conventional methods of cleaning contaminated soil.
