{"id":12735,"date":"2019-05-21T14:25:12","date_gmt":"2019-05-21T18:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=12735"},"modified":"2022-03-01T09:32:47","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T14:32:47","slug":"compost-for-the-climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/compost-for-the-climate\/","title":{"rendered":"Compost for the Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Compost
Compost Bucket via Elaine\/Flickr Creative Commons 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to\nthe Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, food waste makes up\none-quarter of our state\u2019s trash. That means your biodegradable apple cores and\nother plant based materials are needlessly taking up space in landfills and\ncausing negative environmental impacts. But there\u2019s an easy fix. Enter\ncomposting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Composting is not new. In fact, as long as plants have been growing, compost has been happening. What do you think happens to all those leaves that fall off the trees in the forests? That\u2019s right \u2013- Mother Nature is the original compost queen! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any good farmer will tell you that good compost is one of the best soil amendments around. What you should also know is that composting helps alleviate climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to take action? Sign the pledge<\/a> and start composting. Or keep reading to learn more.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It Works Like This<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When organic materials like food and yard waste break down in a compost pile, with plenty of air and water present, the carbon that is released is stored in the new compost, instead of being sent out into the atmosphere. This carbon sequestration \u2013- keeping the carbon \u201clocked up\u201d — helps reduce the greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If those\nsame organic materials break down in a landfill, greenhouse gases like carbon\ndioxide and methane are released, contributing to warming our planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Easy to Access Solution <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to calculations from Project Drawdown<\/a>, an estimated 38% of food waste was composted in the U.S. in 2015. In the European Union, that number is much higher: nearly 57%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compost can\nhappen on large or small scales. Some cities\nalready collect household food waste. In 2009, San\nFrancisco<\/a> passed an ordinance that makes composting the city\u2019s food\nwaste mandatory. In Copenhagen, Denmark they have not sent organic waste to\nlandfill for more than 25 years<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many towns\nin Massachusetts have a compost facility or \u201cstump dump\u201d for yard waste that\nhomeowners and landscapers can use. They won\u2019t take your kitchen waste of\ncourse, but it\u2019s not hard to compost in your own yard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Compost at Home <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are a few ways to compost. If you want reduce your waste and get all of the resulting “black gold” dirt, you can set up a compost pile relatively easily at home — find out how<\/a>. Or, you can take advantage of curbside composting with companies like Black Earth,<\/a> Dirty Boys<\/a>, and Bootstrap Compost<\/a>. In some towns, you can even drop off<\/a> diverted food materials.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in learning more about composting basics and the relevant Massachusetts facilities, check out the resources provided by Mass DEP<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pledge to Compost <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If each one\nof us reduces our personal carbon footprint through composting, it can lead to\nsignificant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across the state.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pledge to start composting at my home or in my garden. If I am already composting as an individual, I will work with my school, employer, or community group to set up a pilot composting program in the next 6 months.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sign the pledge ><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Updated May 30, 2019 to include Bootstrap Compost.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, food waste makes up one-quarter of our state\u2019s trash. That means your biodegradable apple cores and other plant based materials are needlessly taking up space in landfills and causing negative environmental impacts. But there\u2019s an easy fix. Enter composting. Composting is not new. In fact, as long […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":12736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[178,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","category-going-green"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/05\/elaine_flickr_compost_750.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3jp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13257,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/climate-change-its-in-what-you-eat\/","url_meta":{"origin":12735,"position":0},"title":"Climate Change: It\u2019s In What You Eat","author":"Alexandra Vecchio","date":"October 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The food we eat, where it comes from, and what we do with it when we are finished can have a significant impact on an individual\u2019s carbon footprint. According to the USDA, 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from agriculture, but this statistic does not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Veggies","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/Veggies.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/Veggies.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/Veggies.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/10\/Veggies.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14577,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/pushing-forward-in-spite-of-methane-rollbacks\/","url_meta":{"origin":12735,"position":1},"title":"Pushing Forward in Spite of Methane Rollbacks","author":"Rishya N.","date":"August 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In a big setback for US climate action, the federal government has rolled back requirements for capturing methane pollution. On Friday, August 14, the EPA finalized a rule that lets oil and gas companies off the hook for their methane emissions, replacing a 2016 rule that set limits on these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advocacy"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/advocacy-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/climategraphic-750x383-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/climategraphic-750x383-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/climategraphic-750x383-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/climategraphic-750x383-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1218,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/get-a-head-start-on-holiday-shopping\/","url_meta":{"origin":12735,"position":2},"title":"Get a Head Start on Holiday Shopping","author":"Hillary T.","date":"November 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Don\u2019t leave your holiday shopping to the last minute. Find something for everyone on your list at the Audubon Shop in Lincoln. Better yet, come to the Shop\u2019s Holiday Sale November 14 - 18, where Mass Audubon members save 20 percent off their entire purchase* (and 15 percent off optics).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stuff We Love"","block_context":{"text":"Stuff We Love","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/stuff-we-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/11\/fieldtools-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1115,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/before-you-pick-up-that-rake\/","url_meta":{"origin":12735,"position":3},"title":"Before You Pick Up That Rake","author":"Hillary T.","date":"October 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Oh, leaves. There\u2019s so much we love about you. The first sight of your flowers in the spring; the sound you make when you blow in the breeze during summer; your brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange come fall. And then you drop to the ground and become another\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/10\/iStock_learnl.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15161,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/new-year-new-climate-resolutions\/","url_meta":{"origin":12735,"position":4},"title":"New Year, New Climate Resolutions","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"February 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo \u00a9 Andrew Weber 2020 was a tough year. It would be easy to simply bury our heads in the sand and ignore the climate crisis, but nature needs us now more than ever before. And what\u2019s more, we need nature too. As 2021 begins, we can all make some\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11104,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/be-a-garden-hero-grow-sustainably\/","url_meta":{"origin":12735,"position":5},"title":"Be a Garden Hero: Grow Sustainably","author":"Daniel Brown","date":"August 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Gardeners are well-suited to help fight climate change, but sustainable gardening requires putting aside some traditional practices that work against nature. 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