Book 9, Question 118
Why Compost Food Scraps?
We compost food scraps to turn peels and leftovers into healthy soil! In a landfill, scraps get buried and rot without air, and can make a gas called methane that warms the planet. Composting loops the nutrients back to plants, like a circle that never wastes anything.
More fun facts
- About a third of the food produced around the world goes to waste.
- Food rotting in landfills gives off methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
- Compost is made from a mix of food scraps and yard waste, like raked leaves.
- City compost programs can often take more kinds of scraps than a backyard compost pile.
- Compost sent back to farms helps farmers rely less on chemical fertilizers.
- Some cities also turn food waste into biogas that can be burned to make electricity.
Sources: National Geographic, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
What should not go in a backyard compost?
Rules vary, so check your local guide. City programs often accept more kinds of scraps than home piles.