City composting vs backyard bins: which actually cuts waste better?

I visited the Edmonton Waste Management Centre last week and noticed their industrial composting piles were way bigger than I expected, but my neighbor swears her home bin is greener. Which approach do you think really makes a dent in household waste around here?

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3 Comments

jordan3303mo ago

Industrial composting handles way more volume than backyard bins can.

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skyler_adams3mo ago

My buddy tried backyard composting last year and ended up with a family of raccoons moving in. Took him three months to evict them.

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drew_patel573mo ago

Industrial composting definitely handles more volume, but your neighbor might be onto something with smaller waste streams. The thing is, backyard bins usually can't break down meat, dairy, or grease like the industrial ones can, so a lot of food scraps still end up in the landfill. Even if a home bin is "greener" in theory, most people just don't have the space or patience to manage it right... piles that don't get hot enough just turn into a smelly mess instead of actual compost. Edmonton's industrial setup actually captures methane from the breakdown process too, which backyard bins can't do. So for truly cutting household waste on a city-wide scale, the industrial route probably makes a bigger dent overall.

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