What if you were told that, globally, 1.3 billion tons of gold is thrown out and buried deep in the earth each year, never to be recovered?
You might think, “Why is that happening? Why would we allow such a valuable resource to be wasted? What can we do to ensure it doesn’t happen in the future?”
Literal gold isn’t being buried in the earth, but another type of gold is: food scraps.
According to Feeding America, nearly 40% of all food in the U.S. is wasted, most of which goes to the landfill with the rest of our garbage. Food scraps are full of valuable nutrients, and instead of burying this veritable gold, we could harness its power through composting to fertilize our soil and help grow even more food.
Speaking to Montana composting companies revealed that a large part of their jobs is educating consumers about their role in the food system. Alissa La Chance, owner of Dirt Rich Composting in Columbia Falls, said, “Everyone consumes food, and yet most people would say they’re not part of food production or the food cycle.”
Karl Johnson, owner of YES Compost in Belgrade, spoke of a significant need for education to transform food scraps from waste into valuable resources in the minds of consumers, saying, “One of the initial things we are focused on educating about is the detriments of putting this material into the landfill. Some people are like, ‘I don’t really understand why [I should compost]. It’s just going to compost in the landfill anyways.'”
However, organisms that break down food can’t survive in landfills because they need oxygen, which isn’t available in tightly packed spaces like landfills. Ryan Green, co-owner of Happy Trashcan Curbside Composting, explained, “Without oxygen, it takes food scraps hundreds of years to decompose, during which they produce methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is 30 to 60 times more environmentally harmful than carbon dioxide.”
Composting is an aerobic process (meaning it needs oxygen) that converts food scraps and other organic materials (such as twigs, grass clippings, leaves, etc.) into a nutrient-rich soil amendment through natural decomposition.
Rather than producing toxic methane, composting closes the food production loop by returning the nutrients and organic matter from the food scraps to the soil, where they can grow food once again.
When our food scraps are thrown away and taken to the landfill, this system becomes a straight line that starts at the farm and ends at the landfill. When food scraps are instead recovered, turned into compost, and used by farms to grow more food, this system operates as it was intended: as a loop.
“It’s really important for us to highlight that full circle where food waste goes away and soil comes back,” Karl said. “It’s not just another trashcan where we put things in it, it goes away, and we don’t think about it again.”
Composting is a simple way to actively participate in your food system and create a better system for the future.
Adrienne Huckabone, co-owner of Happy Trashcan Curbside Composting, said, “Every time you’re scraping your plate into your compost bin instead of your trash bin, you’re actively participating in this new and better system.”
Being an active participant in closing the loop helps farms grow more food, reduces waste, and improves our soil.
If backyard composting isn’t for you, Montana is lucky enough to have eight companies that offer curbside and drop-off composting services. Close the loop and turn your food waste into gold today by using our guide to find a composting business near you.
Dirt Rich Composting
Columbia Falls, MT
Services: Residential and Commercial pick-up in Columbia Falls, Whitefish, and Bigfork, and drop-off location in Columbia Falls
Website: dirtrichcompost.com
Phone: (406) 212-7535
Soil Cycle
Missoula, MT
Services: Residential and Commercial pick-up in Missoula, Drop-off location in Missoula
Website: soilcyclemissoula.com
Phone: (406) 518-1253
Garden City Compost
Missoula, MT
Services: Drop-off locations in Missoula
Website: www.ci.missoula.mt.us/2089/Garden-City-Compost
Phone: (406) 552-6619
406 Compost
Clancy, MT
Services: Residential and Commercial pick-up in the greater Helena area
Website: 406compost.com
Phone: (406) 449-6008
Better Roots Composting
East Helena, MT
Services: Residential and Commercial pick-up in Helena, East Helena, Helena Valley, Birdseye, and Montana City, and drop-off location in East Helena
Website: betterrootscomposting.com
Phone: (406) 603-0114
Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting
Bozeman, MT
Services: Residential and Commercial pick-up in Bozeman, Belgrade, and Livingston, and pay-what-you-can drop-off location in Bozeman
Website: happytrashcan.net
Phone: (406) 570-0896
YES Compost
Belgrade, MT
Services: Residential and Commercial pick-up in Bozeman, Belgrade, and Big Sky, and drop-off location in Belgrade
Website: yescompost.com
Phone: (406) 219-7011
Swift Buckets
Billings, MT
Services: Residential and Commercial pick-up in Billings and Laurel
Website: swiftmicrogreens.com
Phone: (406) 794-9370
This story was featured in the 2023 Local Food Guide!
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