The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) has announced that it will sponsor the Compostable Organics Out of the Landfill (COOL) 2012 Campaign, which seeks to stop landfill emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, by eliminating the practice of disposing of organic materials in landfills by 2012.
COOL 2012 is a national initiative to inspire and educate state and local jurisdictions on the importance of getting compostable organics out of the landfill, the association says. It will provide tools, models, presentation materials and public policy suggestions to communities across
While Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from vehicles and utilities have been identified as major culprits, the emerging story in the fight against global warming is the tremendous and previously underestimated impact that methane has as well, the press release says.
As communities work to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the first place to look is in the garbage can, the association says.
Despite the many municipal yard trimmings composting programs throughout California, some of which even include household food scraps, every day communities across the state send tens of thousands of tons of biodegradable materials such as paper products, food scraps and yard trimmings to be buried in landfills, the association adds.
When buried in a landfill, these materials decompose anaerobically (without oxygen) making landfills the number one source of human-caused methane and a major player in climate change, according to the press release.
The association continues that the same materials can be composted, an aerobic process that produces soil amendment products with multiple green house gas reduction and other environmental benefits, including reducing the use of petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers, reducing energy-intensive irrigation needs, and reducing harmful irrigation and storm water run-off.
As a founding member of COOL 2012, the California Resource Recovery Association assumes a leadership position in the effort to take immediate actions to reduce emissions of green house gases and restore the climate, the association says.
More information is available at www.cool2012.com.