What is a direct environmental benefit of composting and reducing waste?

What is a direct environmental benefit of composting and reducing waste?

• A. It increases landfill capacity by adding more waste.
• B. It raises greenhouse gas emissions from waste.
• C. It reduces waste and improves soil health, reducing pollution.
• D. It has no impact on the environment.

Answer: (C)

Reducing waste and composting cut pollution by diverting organic material from landfills and enriching soil. When organic scraps are composted, they don’t decompose in anaerobic conditions in landfills, where methane—a potent greenhouse gas—is produced. Instead, the finished compost can be added to soil, improving its structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. This lowers the need for chemical fertilizers and reduces runoff pollution, supporting healthier ecosystems. So the direct environmental benefit is that it reduces waste and improves soil health, which in turn reduces pollution. The other ideas—adding more waste to landfills, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, or claiming no environmental impact—don’t align with how composting changes waste flow and soil health.

Reducing waste and composting cut pollution by diverting organic material from landfills and enriching soil. When organic scraps are composted, they don’t decompose in anaerobic conditions in landfills, where methane—a potent greenhouse gas—is produced. Instead, the finished compost can be added to soil, improving its structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. This lowers the need for chemical fertilizers and reduces runoff pollution, supporting healthier ecosystems.

So the direct environmental benefit is that it reduces waste and improves soil health, which in turn reduces pollution. The other ideas—adding more waste to landfills, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, or claiming no environmental impact—don’t align with how composting changes waste flow and soil health.