Why Nashville can't afford to ignore composting

Every year, Tennesseans pay to bury a resource that could be saving us money. About 30% of what we send to landfills is food waste, valuable material we treat like trash. With Food Waste Prevention Week (Sep. 28-Oct. 4) approaching, it's time to address the concerns that keep people from composting: that it's expensive, challenging or not worthwhile. In reality, composting saves communities money and reduces pollution around the world, and it could do the same here. Composting isn't a niche environmental hobby; it's one of the simplest ways to cut costs, support local agriculture and reduce emissions. But what is it? Composting is the controlled breakdown of organic materials, such as food scraps and grass clippings, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. That soil reduces the need for costly chemical fertilizers, many of which are sourced from outside the U.S., and helps grow more resilient crops. Opinion: This colorectal cancer story shows why screening matters A common misconception is that food waste in landfills eventually breaks down as it would in nature. In reality, deprived of oxygen, those scraps generate methane, a potent emission that's not easily undone. Composting redirects that waste, spares us the cost of burying a valuable resource and returns nutrients to local farms, resulting in a circular, self-sustaining local economy. With its improved health, compost-fed soil can better retain water, ultimately reducing irrigation needs. In urban settings, we can enjoy lower municipal waste management costs and landfill fees while creating local jobs through composting. But if it's so beneficial, why aren't we all composting in Tennessee? We haven't invested enough in our existing systems to help them reach their full potential. We already pay for waste hauling and landfill space, and as our nearby landfill fills up, costs rise through expansion or sending trash farther away. Redirecting even a portion of that investment into composting programs could reduce long-term expenses and avoid that cycle. Opinion: 340B was built for patients, not hospital profit margins Other cities are already proving this works. Austin requires food-permitted businesses to provide composting access for employees, while many California cities require and incentivize residents and businesses to separate organic waste, often through Pay-As-You-Throw systems that reward reducing trash. These policies treat organic waste separately from standard waste, enabling more nuanced processes for it. Tennessee doesn't yet make that distinction, but it could. Nothing will change unless we choose to change it. Nashville is our home, and protecting it starts with us. Talk to your local representatives and make it clear that composting matters to you because it supports local farms, strengthens our agricultural economy, reduces reliance on outside sources and keeps fertilizer production rooted here at home. Learn how Nashville's existing waste management system works, where composting fits in and how you can start diverting your share of the 30% of food that goes to waste. Talk to farmers at local markets about how soil health affects their crops. And for those ready to start but unsure how, Compost Nashville offers residential, commercial and event composting services, making it easy to divert food waste without doing it all yourself. Opinion: Who pays for Tennessee's growth? Homeowners do Composting promotes a circular economy, with more dollars staying local, more nutrient-dense, locally grown food on your table and cleaner air. I like the sound of that; don't you? We have a choice: keep paying to bury an asset, or start investing in it. The solution is already in our trash. Micah Puncochar is a Nashville native and co-founder of Compost Nashville, which he launched in 2014 after recognizing a need for composting services in the area. He now leads commercial partnerships, helping residents and businesses divert food waste from landfills and turn it into nutrient-rich soil.