Beyond the problem of the CO2 generated in the transportation of fresh produce to landfills 1,500 miles from where it was grown, is what happens when the transported produce reaches the landfill. I have seen estimates that 12% of the total weight of landfill intake is food wastes, mostly (un)fresh produce. Once the produce wastes are in the landfill it becomes food for the microbes that do that sort of thing for a living. As they digest the produce, CO2, water and humus are the primary by products of this microbiological process. There we go again, releasing CO2 instead of having a big old salad.
The humus contains a host of nutrients that serve as the basis for the regeneration of new plant life. Good, but not as good as the lettuce would have been if it had been stored with the E.G.G. – and been used for its intended purpose – your table.
Tags: aerobic decomposition, carbon dioxide, CO2, compost, green house gas
