Composting is often framed as a gardening hobby, but it is also a climate action. The reason comes down to what happens when food waste ends up in a landfill instead of a compost pile.
Why landfilled food is a problem
When food breaks down in a landfill, it is buried without oxygen, and that anaerobic environment produces methane. According to the EPA, municipal solid waste landfills are one of the largest sources of human-related methane emissions in the United States. Methane is a short-lived but powerful greenhouse gas, with far more warming potential than carbon dioxide over the near term.
How composting changes the outcome
Composting breaks material down with oxygen, which produces far less methane, and the finished compost stores carbon in the soil while reducing the need for synthetic fertilizer. The EPA’s sustainable management of food resources rank preventing and diverting food waste among the most effective steps households can take.
The local picture
Food waste is a big share of what we throw away, so diverting it adds up quickly across a community. That is the whole idea behind Torus. You can read more about the problem we are solving and see our measured impact on the about page.
Turn your scraps into impact
Every bucket kept out of a landfill is a small, direct reduction in emissions. If you are in New Jersey, sign up for free composting and let us handle the rest.