Insufficient composting

Inadequate recycling of organic wastes

Nature

Organic wastes can be treated to produce compost (using aerobic treatment) or a biogas (using anaerobic treatment).

Background

Insufficient composting emerged as a recognized global concern in the late 20th century, as urbanization and industrial agriculture led to mounting organic waste and declining soil health. Early studies in the 1970s highlighted the environmental and economic costs of landfilling biodegradable materials. International attention grew with the 1992 Earth Summit, which underscored composting’s role in sustainable waste management. Since then, insufficient composting has been increasingly linked to resource inefficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.

Incidence

Domestic waste in Europe typically includes 25% putrescibles, largely wet organic material such as food and garden wastes. A study in the USA concluded that around 30% of household waste is compostable.

Claim

Insufficient composting is a critical environmental failure that we can no longer ignore. Every day, tons of organic waste are dumped into landfills, fueling pollution and squandering valuable resources. This negligence accelerates climate change and depletes soil health, threatening our food security and planet’s future. It is unacceptable that such a simple, effective solution is so widely overlooked. We must prioritize composting now—our environment and future generations depend on it.

Counter-claim

Insufficient composting is hardly a pressing issue compared to the real environmental crises we face. Focusing on composting distracts from urgent problems like industrial pollution and deforestation. Most waste still ends up in landfills regardless, and the impact of individual composting efforts is minimal. Let’s stop exaggerating the importance of composting and direct our energy toward solutions that actually make a significant difference for our planet’s future.