Recycling doesn't work

Let's not make the same mistake with composting

Photo by Markus Spiske

Once recycling is out of sight, it’s out of mind until the semi-annual reminder that only around 10% of plastics in the United States are recycled or 83% of tap water samples from around the world contain microplastics.

These figures don’t mean I’m going to stop sorting my empty jugs and containers anytime soon, but that’s the point. It’s pretty clear that the system is broken, and in the name of all that is cheaper, faster, and more convenient, there’s little political will to reform it, and yet, we all do it out of hope or obligation or maybe just muscle memory.

Could we make the same be true for composting? It’s a similarly straightforward process — sort as you go and when the inside bin gets full, take it out, either for curbside pickup or to a community drop off location. Much like its cousin, it’s relatively easy, has climate change implications¹, and more and more, you can do it from the comfort of your home.

More importantly, the results are actually tangible. I’ll never forget the first time I got a bag of soil back from the community composting program where I’d been dropping off my food scraps on a weekly basis. Though I knew that that was the ultimate state for my scraps, I hadn’t been expecting to see the sausage after it was made. It was a full-circle moment that confirmed my faith in a simple system.

As nice as it was to mix that soil in with my houseplants, the real satisfaction comes from the daily dump of coffee grounds, egg shells, potato peels, and pepper tops into the compost bin that I keep in the freezer. It’s simple, but there’s dopamine in the decision to compost instead of trash, especially knowing it’s all eventually going where I think it is.

As countertop devices become more affordable and curbside composting expands, don’t let the burn of recycling keep you from embracing it. It’s real, it’s easy, and it makes a difference.

1. According to the U.N., about a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked to food.