Composting: reducing carbon emissions from food waste is easier than you think
By Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager
Many students that visit or simply hear about the UW farm often ask to what extent our farming practices are sustainable. There are quite a few answers to this depending on the definition. From individual understanding to textbook terms, sustainable is often referred to as addressing the long term well-being of society, the environment and economy. We might also add the terms resiliency, equity, and the health of ecosystems. And sometimes we see these as competing, pillars, and apart from us, humans.
But if I were to ask you,"what sector of the food system contributes the most carbon emissions from food waste?" Which of the answers below would you choose?
A. Farms
B. Manufacturing
C. Restaurants
D. Homes
E. Retail
(The answer is below in the chart)*
Most students I talk to are surprised to learn the answer.
Food waste is once such example where all sustainable elements are intertwined and inseparable.
Let's face it, we all contribute to food waste. Either in our homes, apartments, at restaurants, and purchasing items that are highly perishable long distances. Food waste affects all areas of sustainability. And the fact that we, as humans produce the most, means that we are at the center, a part of the problem and the solution.
Food waste occurs along the entire spectrum of production, from the farm to distribution to retailers to the consumer. Reasons include losses from mold, pests, or inadequate climate control; losses from cooking; and intentional food waste.
Wasted food has far-reaching effects, both nationally and globally. In the U.S., up to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten, and about 95% of discarded food ends up in landfills. It is the largest component of municipal solid waste at 21%.
Americans have never wasted so much food: 400 pounds per household. That’s about 35 percent of the total U.S. food supply ending up in the trash, according to ReFED, a California-basednonprofit organization dedicated to ending food waste.
One Solution
Today, Americans compost about 6 percent of kitchen scraps and very little of the compost ends up fertilizing yards or fields, depriving the soil of many of the nutrients that must be added withnatural-gas-derived nitrogen fertilizer.
At the UW Farm, a CSF-funded Vermicomposting facility was completed in 2023 and it captures vegetables and fruit that are unfit for human consumption. The red wiggler worms devour the produce and create warm castings for use as soil amendments. The farm team has also taken field trips around the city and learned about Bokashi, a great method for those with little space, like worm composting.
Other food waste initiatives abound at UW, including in depth analysis on wastes in general, to inform systems changes and initiatives. At the UW there are multiple composting, leaf, food waste and even coffee grind composting programs.
But composting, unlike recycling, has yet to gain mainstream acceptance. Perhaps because, to most of us, it isn't a pretty process, until you get to the end of the decomposition cycle and see that chocolate-colored soil-like material.
This lag in enthusiasm is changing slowly. At last count, nine states haverestricted sending food waste to landfills. Vermont is the first state to ban the disposal of food scraps in the trash or landfills for households.
Proposed Solutions to Food Waste
Globally, reducing wasted food has been cited as a key initiative in achieving a sustainable food future. At the very least, individuals could reduce food waste by taking home leftovers when dining out, shopping carefully, and other food waste reduction techniques.
In Seattle we are lucky to have a city-wide programs, but it is critical to follow guidelines to reduce contamination. Municipal collection programs, backyard bins and worm composting all have differing do's and don'ts. At the UW Farm students have produced handy guides and signage to help keep our red wigglers happy.
If you would like to learn more others with experience in composting, The WHOLEU, UW Recycling, UW Sustainability, and the UW Farm will be having a Composting Basics educational discussion on March 23.
Rachel Carson – Biologist, Writer and Leader of an Environmental Movement
From PBS's The American Experience, this video documentary is an intimate portrait of Rachel Carson, the woman whose groundbreaking books revolutionized our relationship to the natural world. When Silent Spring was published in September 1962 it became an instant bestseller and would go on to spark dramatic changes in the way the government regulated pesticides.
News and Noteworthy:
March is National Nutrition Month
Just in from The WHOLEU….
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, the UW community is invited to celebrate National Nutrition Month together with a variety of virtual opportunities. Participate in a challenge, connect with colleagues, try new recipes, and win prizes! Check out all of the opportunities in the link below.
Join The Whole U in our 31 Days of Fruits and Vegetables Challenge this March. Over 900 UW faculty and staff have already committed to more fruits and vegetables. Together we’ll honor this food group and work to bring more color and variety onto our plates by consuming the daily recommended value of fruits and vegetables each day.
The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.
Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online
The Weekly Dirt is produced once a week by the University of Washington Farm, a program of the UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is published nearly year-round for educational purposes and the majority of the content is written or contributed by students and farm staff.
This issue's contributors:
Around the Farm: Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager and Chrina Munn, AmeriCorps Volunteer 2022-23 Photo Credits: Perry Acworth. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
At the UW Farm, a CSF-funded Vermicomposting facility was completed in 2023 and it captures vegetables and fruit that are unfit for human consumption. The red wiggler worms devour the produce and create warm castings for use as soil amendments. The farm team has also taken field trips around the city and learned about 
