The International Compost Alliance highlights that the recycling of unavoidable food waste constitutes an effective measure to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and聽calls for the implementation of efficient systems to collect and recycle food waste.聽The waste sector currently contributes to around 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But according to recent findings, better waste and resource management could significantly contribute to mitigating global GHG emissions. Since food waste accounts for nearly 50% of total emissions, it represents a major opportunity for emission reduction.
Indeed, part of this food waste is difficult to avoid, but by ensuring that this unavoidable waste is separately collected and recycled, it can be diverted from landfill, thereby significantly reducing methane emissions. Furthermore, the recycling of food waste produces high-value organic soil amendments (compost and digestate) which contain valuable nutrients and carbon-rich organic matter, reducing the need for commercially produced fertilizers. When returned to the soil, the compost serves as a 鈥渃arbon bank鈥� helping to store carbon and remove it from the atmosphere. Globally, compost could save up to 98 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents every year through carbon stored in soils combined with avoided emissions from added fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers and soil amendments can also contribute to food security. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 95% of our food is directly or indirectly produced on our soils. Healthy soil is therefore essential to supply the necessary nutrients, water, oxygen and root support that the plants need. Soil health is primarily determined by its organic carbon content. It is widely recognized that compost has the capacity to increase the organic carbon content of soil, bringing key environmental benefits in terms of soil structure, water holding capacity, and microbiological activity. Digestate contains readily available nutrients and can be used to replace mineral fertilizers. Repeated applications of compost and digestate derived from food waste confer benefits to soil health and aids its productivity.
Therefore, the International Compost Alliance urges the Parties to take decisive action to accelerate the recycling of unavoidable food waste into valuable organic fertilizers and soil amendments, returning these nutrients back to the soil. To achieve this, countries should implement efficient separate collection and recycling systems to maximize the amount of food waste captured and treated. In this way, they could contribute substantially to the reduction and mitigation of GHG emissions and improving the circularity of managed bioresources.