As a member company of the Climate Collaborative, we take our environmental responsibility very seriously. The Climate Collaborative is a community of businesses and organizations who made a commitment to work together to create solutions that impact our environment. One of the ways we are participating is by pledging to minimize our waste through manufacturing and packaging. We compost the herbs left over from making our herbal salves and use eco friendly glass and compostable paper tube packaging. We made it our mission to heal skin naturally and also use environmentally friendly packaging.
We want to spread the message far and wide: caring for our Earth and our soil truly pays off on the long run. We all know that our food choices impact our health. But did you know the health of our soil impacts the quality of our food, the nutrient density of our food and it has a great impact on our climate as well.
According to the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, the environmental costs of food waste are quite staggering. 3.3. billion metric tons of carbon dioxide are released each year through the production, harvesting, transporting and packaging of (ultimately) wasted food. Once food reaches the landfills, the scraps begin to decompose, releasing methane gas into the atmosphere. Methane gas has a warming potential of roughly 21 times that of carbon dioxide, meaning it has an even larger impact on the global climate than CO2.
We can all make a huge difference each day, through the simple act of composting. According to the EPA, 34% of methane emissions in the US are attributed to landfills, which are the largest direct human source of methane. When you browse the data and look at the statistics on climate change, trying to combat it by making changes in your daily life can sometimes seem daunting. As an individual, solving a problem of this magnitude can seem downright impossible. On those days, when you feel like throwing in the towel, try taking a cue from the bees. In a colony, each bee has its role. Some pollinate, some make the honey, some guard the queen, and each and every single bee contributes in their own way to something much greater. One bee alone can’t make the honey, or keep countless species of plant life pollinated, but together, they can do incredible things. A problem like climate change may not be fixable by one person alone, but if we all do our part, we can make a HUGE impact! Just like the bees, we are doing our part, and working towards something wonderful. And you can too!
Methane is 23-71 times as bad as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in our atmosphere, and composting can lower your carbon footprint by a staggering amount! For instance, over 50% of municipal garbage is compostable. US landfills and incinerators receive 167 million tons of trash every year. We have the power to cut that number in half!
According to Compost Science and Utilization, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, found that applying compost to cropland sequestered a staggering 10,802 pounds more carbon dioxide per hectare each year than farming with conventional manure fertilizer. That’s more than the yearly emissions of a Chevy Impala.
Since we first started composting in 2015, we diverted approx. 5000 lbs of food waste from the landfill, and offset 685 lbs of methane from the atmosphere. That is the equivalent of parking your car for two years.
Composting pays off and it rewards you back with more nourishing soil, better climate, and a more sustainable future!
Our Mother Earth has been generous and given us a comfortable, livable home. It is time we return the favor. Join us in nourishing our Planet and start composting. Our Mother Earth will thank you for it!