Caught myself rinsing food scraps down the sink for 10 years before I saw the numbers

I was making dinner last Tuesday and dumped some carrot peels down the garbage disposal like always. Then my roommate showed me this chart about how much methane those scraps create in landfills when they break down. I did the math and apparently every pound of food waste I sent down there was releasing around 0.5 pounds of methane equivalent. That stuff is like 25 times stronger than CO2 at trapping heat. So I started a little compost bucket under the sink with sawdust on top to keep smells down. Has anyone else had to totally change their kitchen routine once they saw the actual impact numbers?

3 comments

3 Comments

amybarnes1mo ago

Actually the EPA says food in landfills creates methane, but a garbage disposal sends it to wastewater treatment plants instead. Those plants often capture the methane for energy, so it's not quite the same as throwing scraps in the trash. The sawdust trick is smart though, just wanted to clear that up.

jenniferb531mo ago

Not all treatment plants capture methane though, some just flare it or let it escape.

michael_bennett111mo ago

Yup, my local plant started capturing it a few years back and it works great.