Waste Disposal Issues

In 2007, the EPA reported that the United States generated an estimated 254 million tons of trash, or about 4.6 pounds of individual waste per person per day. Organic materials—yard trimmings, food scraps, packaging, and paper products—are the largest component of trash and make up about two-thirds of the solid waste stream.

The U.S. Composting Council is firmly opposed to landfilling yard debris and other source-separated organics when viable alternatives like municipal composting facilities are available. The Council states that it is inefficient to landfill organic feedstocks because the anaerobic environment of a landfill inhibits microbial biodegradation. The best disposal option for organics and bioplastics is a composting system, which reclaims the value from within the waste stream. Mirel bioplastics are a compostable solution to help address waste disposal issues. Mirel resins are certified to biodegrade in natural soil and water environments, home composting systems, and industrial composting facilites, the latter of which may not be available in your area.