Letter to US EPA: Composting is Infrastructure Too!
The EPA is asking for feedback on infrastructure law pertaining to US Recycling and Waste Management. It’s important for us to let those in charge know that Composting is Infrastructure Too! To that end these are some constructive resources for you to make that happen.
Note: Why are we asking for your name and address? EPA wants real names and addresses of constituents. Comments and sign-ons without real names and addresses are not counted.
Dear EPA,
We the undersigned want to ensure these considerations are integrated as part of the Infrastructure Law found at this EPA web page: https://www.epa.gov/rcra/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-transforming-us-recycling-and-waste-management
Why? Because Composting is infrastructure too. This is important first because about 18% of methane emissions come from landfills according to EPA’s own reporting. Second, about half of what’s landfilled can generally be diverted from landfills to composting facilities. These are the two easiest low hanging fruit to address when it comes to fighting climate change. In many counties that haven’t already begun, that means creating new or revising existing infrastructure so that compostable organics are diverted from landfills and into composting facilities at scales that are appropriate for each community. The list of physical and social parameters outlined below are important considerations in developing a strategy that funds infrastructure to transform US recycling and waste management:
Physical Infrastructure – for compostable organics diversion
- Reduction – (e.g. LeanPath,com)
- Reusables – Edible Food to Food Pantries
- Windrows
- In-Vessel Systems
- Urban Composting
- Backyard Composting
- Community Composting (decentralization)
- on-Farm Composting
- Digestion (Anaerobic/Aerobic)
- Development of Collection Programs
Social Infrastructure – for compostable organics diversion
- Permitting documents
- Behavior Change
- Adoption of Policies
- Reduction
- Training programs
- Workforce Development
Yours sincerely,
The undersigned
