Food waste and greenhouse gases

Letting food rot in landfill is not composting. A mistaken belief is that because food waste is biodegradable, no harm reslts from letting it decay naturally.  Here are some facts which highlight the negative impacts - both environmental and financial of putting food in landfill.

FACT ONE
The 2010 National Waste Report estimated that of the 21 million tonnes of material that goes to landfill in Australia every year, 62% of that is organic waste, with the vast bulk being food waste.

FACT TWO
In addition to organic waste in landfill contributing heavily to the emission of greenhouse gases, the actual decomposition process produces methane. This greenhouse gas is 21 times more potent a greenhouse gas than the carbon pollution that comes out of your car exhaust.

FACT THREE
By depositing organic waste in landfills we're missing out on a significant environmental opportunity to create an organic compost soil additive - that when returned to the earth, stores carbon and improves the productivity of the soil.

FACT FOUR
Trucking expenses for hauling organic waste to disposal sites and the increasing cost of landfill fees make food waste an expensive afterthought for many businesses.

Each Closed Loop Organics Unit is recommended with consideration to your business’s specific waste stream volume and composition to ensure maximum performance and environmental benefit.  

To download the Closed Loop Organics Unit Environmental Facts, click here

Closed Loop Organics Unit School Example

Using a CLO30 Closed Loop Organics Unit, a school in Queensland producing 70kg of food waste a day can avoid 14.6 tonnes CO2-e emissions every year*

Closed Loop Organics Unit Hospital Example

Using a CLO100 Closed Loop Organics Unit, a hospital in New South Wales producing 200kg of food waste a day can avoid 30.4 tonnes CO2-e emissions every year*

*accounting for any electricity needed to run the unit and industry assumptions