The food scraps I produce on a daily basis should be composted instead of being tossed into the trash and eventually making its way into a landfill. When food rots in a landfill it goes through anaerobic decomposition. During this process it releases methane into the air. Methane is the leading cause for the smell prevalent at landfills, and also in garbage cans. It is also a greenhouse gas contributing to the warming of our planet. When food scraps are broken down in soil, and in compost, this decomposition is aerobic. In aerobic decomposition, CO2 is produced instead of methane. This gas is much less harmful to the environment and can even be used by plants during photosynthesis.
Unfortunately, I do not have a garden in my apartment, or adequate time necessary to break down my food scraps in a compost heap before I have to move. You need land to be able to keep a compost pile well away from anywhere it might cause a bad smell. I feel that starting a compost pile is not very realistic for most college students but it is something that I have a strong interest in. It makes perfect sense for somebody with the time, land, and means to turn kitchen scraps into compost instead of letting them rot in a landfill.
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