Composting
What is Composting?
Composting is the natural process of breaking down organic materials, such as food scraps and yard waste, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Composting can happen on a small or large scale. You can compost at home using a bin or pile, or participate in a composting service that picks up your food scraps or provides a convenient drop-off location.
Why is Composting Important?
Tennessee has limited landfill space, with landfills in Middle Tennessee nearing capacity. Building new landfills is costly, requires significant land area, and entails long-term monitoring and maintenance costs even after they close. Food is the largest category of waste in Tennessee’s landfills, accounting for almost 20% of waste by weight.1 Approximately 75% of the food waste was considered to be once edible—not just unavoidable scraps like bones, peels, and trimmings.1
Because food waste is heavy, transporting it to landfills also requires a significant amount of fuel, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, when food is sent to landfills, it can't decompose properly and produces methane, a particularly powerful greenhouse gas. Disposal of Tennessee food waste in 2024 alone produced 23.6 thousand metric tons of methane.2
How to Start Composting
Whether you want to start composting at home or participate in a composting service, choose a method below to learn how to start composting in Tennessee.
Stay Connected
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