It is no secret why we refer to nature as our “mother”; the natural world is the source of all life, from tiny, short-lived microbes to enormous whales and thousand-year-old trees. Every living thing emerges from nature’s fertile womb. And of course, we all know the other half of the story: every living thing must go back to Mother Nature when it dies. However, sometimes we humans make the mistake of forgetting about that vital circle of life.

When we dump our organic wastes – the residues of life – into a landfill, they are kept out of the natural cycles of life indefinitely. The nutrients are trapped where they can do no good, and if they do escape, they do so as pollutants of our streams, rivers and lakes. The carbon in the residues (all living things contain carbon) is also trapped, but only for a few years. It is gradually and inevitably released from the landfill as methane, a greenhouse gas that is 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Methane generated in this way is a very important contributor to climate change worldwide.

On the other hand, when we compost we mimic the natural cycle of life, where both nutrients and carbon are returned to the soil where they help to fight climate change rather than making it worse. Mother Nature is all about balance – balance in our atmosphere, balance in our water bodies, balance in our soils. The next time you are wondering whether this composting business is worth it, ask Mother.