If I had a magic wand, I would make everyone compost
Date:
Mar 13, 2025
Category:
Permaculture
Tools:
My story
On a warm Tucson August afternoon in 2022, my composting journey began. It had been on my to-do list for awhile, written as “deal with your shit.” My first composting system was a couple 5 gallon buckets that I drilled some holes into.
Since then I have become somewhat of a composting fanatic. To give you a little peek into what that looks like, I now have a bin of worms in my living room, compost my own turds, and have even made a water heater compost pile for a luxurious outdoor shower experience (see a video of that process). Every scrap of “waste” is a valuable resource, ready to be given back to the earth and reincarnated as new life. Composting is one of the most tangible ways to observe alchemy.
The vision — 100% composted food waste
Future societies will look back at how we deal with food “waste” today and scratch their heads at how we could be so stupid. We are shipping off a precious resource to go rot in a literal dumpster fire.
If I was a dictator, I would mandate that everyone compost (half joking). Composting allows one to gain an experiential understanding of closed loop systems and to connect to the mystery of death and rebirth. It fundamentally shifts the way you look at waste, forcing you to see how much you are throwing away instead of shipping it off somewhere you will never see except for when you have to get rid of the nasty mattress your roommate left for you to deal with.
The dance between the elements during decomposition
Beyond a psychological shift, there are numerous environmental benefits to composting. If all food waste was composted, it would slash greenhouse gas emissions (by cutting methane), rebuild soils with organic matter and nutrients, conserve water by creating a living sponge, and dramatically increase soil carbon storage.
Food waste emissions
We all know the US wastes a lot of food. Over one third of food produced is never eaten.1 And where is the majority of that food going? Landfills.2 Food waste is actually the most common item in US landfills and it’s heating up the planet.When food decomposes in landfills, it produces methane which is 25-80 times more potent than CO2 (depending on time scale). A 2023 study in Nature found that composting food scraps results in 38–84% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to sending them to a landfill. 3
Food waste currently contributes heavily to landfill emissions – in the US, food waste in landfills generated about 55 million metric tons CO₂e of methane in 2020 (about 58% of all US landfill methane emissions). 4
Topsoil regeneration
There’s another major issue at play here. We are losing topsoil, the source of all nourishment on this planet, at an alarming rate.5 Natural topsoil formation can take a long time (100-1,000 years for 1 inch).6 Good news! With compost remediation, that timeline can be sped up dramatically. Why? Compost helps the soil absorb water, which creates an inviting home for microorganisms, which creates soil that has a stronger structure and is more fertile.7 Compost returns essential plant nutrients (like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) to the soil in slow-release organic forms (unlike synthetic fertilizers which are quick release and can be compared to feeding the soil junk food).
In trials, crops grown with compost had greater nutrient uptake and vegetative growth than those with inorganic fertilizer 8, translating into healthier, more fertile soils and in some cases higher yields.
Water conservation
Healthy, nutrient-rich soils are way better at absorbing water than depleted soil.Even small boosts in soil organic matter lead to big gains in water storage. For example, a study found that a silt loam soil with 4% organic matter held over twice as much water as the same soil with only 1% organic matter.9 Field trials have shown that compost amendments can cut the amount of irrigation water needed by anywhere from about 10% up to 90% in certain scenarios.10 Compost-enriched soils lose less water to runoff and evaporation, meaning plants can withstand dry periods better with fewer supplemental water applications. This saves water and reduces the energy used for pumping irrigation.
Municipal composting
There has been some progress in municipal composting programs in the US, but there’s still a long way to go. It’s hard to measure and varies greatly between cities, but some statistics predict that only 5% of organic waste is being funneled into municipal composting facilities.11
Deal with your shit!
I am a big supporter of DIY composting because it’s fun, educational, and you get to keep the compost you create and use it to nourish the soil and grow more plants! That’s why I call it the gateway drug into gardening. Different composting systems work better for different people. I will map out a few options below:
I want an easy composting setup that doesn’t take much effort
Cold composting
Hole or trench composting
Municipal composting program
I live in a tiny space with little to no yard
Vermicomposting
I got a little extra time in the day, I’m tryna see what this is all about
Vermicomposting
Hot composting
Cold composting
Humanure
I got a mountain of yard waste that I don’t know what to do with
Hugelkultur (hill culture in German)
1 https://www.knb.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-Spring-ReFresh-1.pdf
2 https://www.epa.gov/land-research/farm-kitchen-environmental-impacts-us-food-waste
3 https://www.carbonbrief.org/in-depth-qa-what-food-waste-means-for-climate-change/#:~:text=Incinerating%20waste%20results%20in%20a,to%20decompose%20in%20a%20landfill
4 https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-10/food-waste-landfill-methane-10-8-23-final_508-compliant.pdf#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20landfilled%20food%20waste,Results%20were%20also
5 https://www.fao.org/about/meetings/soil-erosion-symposium/key-messages/en/
6 https://www.fao.org/about/meetings/soil-erosion-symposium/key-messages/en/
7 https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1200&title=compost-utilization-for-erosion-control
8 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10702515/#:~:text=compost,in%20the%20first%20year%20of
9 https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/compost_increases_the_water_holding_capacity_of_droughty_soils#:~:text=carbon%20can%20hold%20up%20to,that%20improves%20its%20soil%20organic
10 https://www.biocycle.net/using-compost-to-reduce-irrigation-costs/#:~:text=Research%20conducted%20at%20the%20University,cycles%20by%20two%20to%20seven
11 https://www.biocycle.net/the-organics-capture-rate-and-what-it-tells-us/
If I had a magic wand, I would make everyone compost
Date:
Mar 13, 2025
Category:
Permaculture
Tools:
My story
On a warm Tucson August afternoon in 2022, my composting journey began. It had been on my to-do list for awhile, written as “deal with your shit.” My first composting system was a couple 5 gallon buckets that I drilled some holes into.
Since then I have become somewhat of a composting fanatic. To give you a little peek into what that looks like, I now have a bin of worms in my living room, compost my own turds, and have even made a water heater compost pile for a luxurious outdoor shower experience (see a video of that process). Every scrap of “waste” is a valuable resource, ready to be given back to the earth and reincarnated as new life. Composting is one of the most tangible ways to observe alchemy.
The vision — 100% composted food waste
Future societies will look back at how we deal with food “waste” today and scratch their heads at how we could be so stupid. We are shipping off a precious resource to go rot in a literal dumpster fire.
If I was a dictator, I would mandate that everyone compost (half joking). Composting allows one to gain an experiential understanding of closed loop systems and to connect to the mystery of death and rebirth. It fundamentally shifts the way you look at waste, forcing you to see how much you are throwing away instead of shipping it off somewhere you will never see except for when you have to get rid of the nasty mattress your roommate left for you to deal with.
The dance between the elements during decomposition
Beyond a psychological shift, there are numerous environmental benefits to composting. If all food waste was composted, it would slash greenhouse gas emissions (by cutting methane), rebuild soils with organic matter and nutrients, conserve water by creating a living sponge, and dramatically increase soil carbon storage.
Food waste emissions
We all know the US wastes a lot of food. Over one third of food produced is never eaten.1 And where is the majority of that food going? Landfills.2 Food waste is actually the most common item in US landfills and it’s heating up the planet.When food decomposes in landfills, it produces methane which is 25-80 times more potent than CO2 (depending on time scale). A 2023 study in Nature found that composting food scraps results in 38–84% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to sending them to a landfill. 3
Food waste currently contributes heavily to landfill emissions – in the US, food waste in landfills generated about 55 million metric tons CO₂e of methane in 2020 (about 58% of all US landfill methane emissions). 4
Topsoil regeneration
There’s another major issue at play here. We are losing topsoil, the source of all nourishment on this planet, at an alarming rate.5 Natural topsoil formation can take a long time (100-1,000 years for 1 inch).6 Good news! With compost remediation, that timeline can be sped up dramatically. Why? Compost helps the soil absorb water, which creates an inviting home for microorganisms, which creates soil that has a stronger structure and is more fertile.7 Compost returns essential plant nutrients (like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) to the soil in slow-release organic forms (unlike synthetic fertilizers which are quick release and can be compared to feeding the soil junk food).
In trials, crops grown with compost had greater nutrient uptake and vegetative growth than those with inorganic fertilizer 8, translating into healthier, more fertile soils and in some cases higher yields.
Water conservation
Healthy, nutrient-rich soils are way better at absorbing water than depleted soil.Even small boosts in soil organic matter lead to big gains in water storage. For example, a study found that a silt loam soil with 4% organic matter held over twice as much water as the same soil with only 1% organic matter.9 Field trials have shown that compost amendments can cut the amount of irrigation water needed by anywhere from about 10% up to 90% in certain scenarios.10 Compost-enriched soils lose less water to runoff and evaporation, meaning plants can withstand dry periods better with fewer supplemental water applications. This saves water and reduces the energy used for pumping irrigation.
Municipal composting
There has been some progress in municipal composting programs in the US, but there’s still a long way to go. It’s hard to measure and varies greatly between cities, but some statistics predict that only 5% of organic waste is being funneled into municipal composting facilities.11
Deal with your shit!
I am a big supporter of DIY composting because it’s fun, educational, and you get to keep the compost you create and use it to nourish the soil and grow more plants! That’s why I call it the gateway drug into gardening. Different composting systems work better for different people. I will map out a few options below:
I want an easy composting setup that doesn’t take much effort
Cold composting
Hole or trench composting
Municipal composting program
I live in a tiny space with little to no yard
Vermicomposting
I got a little extra time in the day, I’m tryna see what this is all about
Vermicomposting
Hot composting
Cold composting
Humanure
I got a mountain of yard waste that I don’t know what to do with
Hugelkultur (hill culture in German)
If I had a magic wand, I would make everyone compost
Date:
Mar 13, 2025
Category:
Permaculture
Tools:
My story
On a warm Tucson August afternoon in 2022, my composting journey began. It had been on my to-do list for awhile, written as “deal with your shit.” My first composting system was a couple 5 gallon buckets that I drilled some holes into.
Since then I have become somewhat of a composting fanatic. To give you a little peek into what that looks like, I now have a bin of worms in my living room, compost my own turds, and have even made a water heater compost pile for a luxurious outdoor shower experience (see a video of that process). Every scrap of “waste” is a valuable resource, ready to be given back to the earth and reincarnated as new life. Composting is one of the most tangible ways to observe alchemy.
The vision — 100% composted food waste
Future societies will look back at how we deal with food “waste” today and scratch their heads at how we could be so stupid. We are shipping off a precious resource to go rot in a literal dumpster fire.
If I was a dictator, I would mandate that everyone compost (half joking). Composting allows one to gain an experiential understanding of closed loop systems and to connect to the mystery of death and rebirth. It fundamentally shifts the way you look at waste, forcing you to see how much you are throwing away instead of shipping it off somewhere you will never see except for when you have to get rid of the nasty mattress your roommate left for you to deal with.
The dance between the elements during decomposition
Beyond a psychological shift, there are numerous environmental benefits to composting. If all food waste was composted, it would slash greenhouse gas emissions (by cutting methane), rebuild soils with organic matter and nutrients, conserve water by creating a living sponge, and dramatically increase soil carbon storage.
Food waste emissions
We all know the US wastes a lot of food. Over one third of food produced is never eaten.1 And where is the majority of that food going? Landfills.2 Food waste is actually the most common item in US landfills and it’s heating up the planet.When food decomposes in landfills, it produces methane which is 25-80 times more potent than CO2 (depending on time scale). A 2023 study in Nature found that composting food scraps results in 38–84% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to sending them to a landfill. 3
Food waste currently contributes heavily to landfill emissions – in the US, food waste in landfills generated about 55 million metric tons CO₂e of methane in 2020 (about 58% of all US landfill methane emissions). 4
Topsoil regeneration
There’s another major issue at play here. We are losing topsoil, the source of all nourishment on this planet, at an alarming rate.5 Natural topsoil formation can take a long time (100-1,000 years for 1 inch).6 Good news! With compost remediation, that timeline can be sped up dramatically. Why? Compost helps the soil absorb water, which creates an inviting home for microorganisms, which creates soil that has a stronger structure and is more fertile.7 Compost returns essential plant nutrients (like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) to the soil in slow-release organic forms (unlike synthetic fertilizers which are quick release and can be compared to feeding the soil junk food).
In trials, crops grown with compost had greater nutrient uptake and vegetative growth than those with inorganic fertilizer 8, translating into healthier, more fertile soils and in some cases higher yields.
Water conservation
Healthy, nutrient-rich soils are way better at absorbing water than depleted soil.Even small boosts in soil organic matter lead to big gains in water storage. For example, a study found that a silt loam soil with 4% organic matter held over twice as much water as the same soil with only 1% organic matter.9 Field trials have shown that compost amendments can cut the amount of irrigation water needed by anywhere from about 10% up to 90% in certain scenarios.10 Compost-enriched soils lose less water to runoff and evaporation, meaning plants can withstand dry periods better with fewer supplemental water applications. This saves water and reduces the energy used for pumping irrigation.
Municipal composting
There has been some progress in municipal composting programs in the US, but there’s still a long way to go. It’s hard to measure and varies greatly between cities, but some statistics predict that only 5% of organic waste is being funneled into municipal composting facilities.11
Deal with your shit!
I am a big supporter of DIY composting because it’s fun, educational, and you get to keep the compost you create and use it to nourish the soil and grow more plants! That’s why I call it the gateway drug into gardening. Different composting systems work better for different people. I will map out a few options below:
I want an easy composting setup that doesn’t take much effort
Cold composting
Hole or trench composting
Municipal composting program
I live in a tiny space with little to no yard
Vermicomposting
I got a little extra time in the day, I’m tryna see what this is all about
Vermicomposting
Hot composting
Cold composting
Humanure
I got a mountain of yard waste that I don’t know what to do with
Hugelkultur (hill culture in German)