Compost Vs Landfill 🌱: Composting is a more viable option than sending waste to landfill for a few, valid reasons. Find out those reasons by reading this blog.

Across Australia, we send millions of tonnes of food scraps, grass/garden clippings and other organic materials to landfill each year. In fact, we sent a staggering 6.2 million tonnes of organic waste to landfill last year. This accounts for more than 40 per cent of the total organic waste Australia produced.

At first glance, it might seem harmless – organic matter breaks down eventually, right? But when you compare food waste in landfill vs compost, the differences are dramatic.

Burying organics in landfill creates environmental and financial burdens. Composting, especially at commercial and municipal scales, transforms this waste into a valuable resource. It’s the kind of shift that changes systems – not just habits.

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Compost vs landfill: a critical choice

In landfills, organic waste breaks down without oxygen, producing methane—a greenhouse gas over 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. This process contributes significantly to climate change and creates leachate that can contaminate soil and waterways.

Composting, on the other hand, is an aerobic process (with oxygen). It avoids methane production and results in nutrient-rich compost that improves soil health.

The choice between composting vs landfill is really a choice between:

  • Emissions and pollution vs regeneration and soil health
  • A linear system vs a circular one
  • Long-term costs vs long-term gains

 

Scaling up: why large-scale composting matters

Whilst household composting plays a role, the greatest impact happens at scale. Councils, food businesses, shopping centres and universities generate huge volumes of organic waste. Properly collected and processed, this material becomes a local asset—not a landfill burden.

In this context, composting vs landfill isn’t just an environmental issue – it’s an economic and community one. Composting creates jobs, supports agriculture and reduces the cost of managing overflowing landfills. Plus, in drought-prone regions like many parts of Australia, compost-enriched soil helps retain water, reducing irrigation needs.

 

Understanding the food waste problem

When you talk about composting or organic waste, of course, food waste also comes to mind.

Food waste is one of the most avoidable and yet most damaging forms of waste we generate. In Australia, over 7 million tonnes of food are wasted each year—much of it still perfectly edible. This isn’t just an issue of wasted meals; it’s also a waste of the resources used to produce that food – land, water, energy and labour.

When food is discarded, we’re not just losing the product – we’re throwing away everything that went into making it. And when it ends up in landfill, it doesn’t just disappear. It breaks down in a harmful way, releasing methane and contributing to climate change.

Solving the food waste problem starts with prevention, but once the food is no longer edible, composting offers a smart and sustainable alternative.

 

Food waste in landfill vs compost: two very different outcomes

Let’s break down what happens to food scraps depending on where they go.

In landfill, food waste is compacted under heaps of mixed garbage, where it decomposes without access to oxygen. This anaerobic breakdown process emits methane – a highly potent greenhouse gas that contributes more to global warming than carbon dioxide.

Additionally, landfills generate leachate, a toxic liquid that can seep into the ground and pollute nearby water systems. What’s more, all the nutrients, carbon and organic value in the food are wasted – locked away in a site designed to bury, not renew.

In compost, food waste is handled in a controlled, oxygen-rich environment where it decomposes aerobically. Instead of releasing methane, it breaks down into a rich compost that replenishes the soil, enhances its structure and boosts its water retention. This compost can then support farms, gardens and reforestation projects—closing the nutrient loop.

This is not just a technical difference – it’s a systemic one. Landfilling creates a dead end; composting gives food waste a second life. With every banana peel or coffee ground redirected from landfill, we reduce emissions and build a healthier foundation for future growth.

It’s a simple shift with a big payoff. Instead of becoming part of the problem, food waste becomes part of the solution.

 

Compost vs landfill: councils and businesses have a key role

Across Australia, more local governments are rolling out FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) collection services, making it easier for households to participate. But businesses – especially in hospitality, retail and events – can lead the way in volume and visibility.

Here’s how they can help:

  • Provide clear bin systems to separate organic waste from general rubbish
  • Train staff and engage customers in proper sorting
  • Partner with composting services to ensure collected organics are processed properly

Every food court tray or prep bench that diverts scraps from landfill contributes to a cleaner, more circular system.

 

Households can help, too

If your council offers green bins, use them. Learn what can and can’t go in – usually, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and garden cuttings are all fine. Keep contamination (like plastic or meat) out, and you’ll be doing your bit.

Even without a backyard compost pile, households can:

  • Reduce food waste through better planning and storage
  • Encourage local leaders to support composting programs
  • Help normalise organics recycling in apartments and shared living spaces

Composting with Waster

At Waster, we’re proud to support Australian businesses in diverting their food waste from landfill. Our organic food waste bin services make it easy for companies of all sizes to participate in commercial composting.

We collect food waste and transport it to local composting facilities, where it’s turned into a valuable soil product. This helps reduce methane emissions, lowers landfill costs and supports regenerative agriculture.

Whether you run a cafe, office kitchen or industrial site, Waster makes composting accessible and practical!

 

Waster’s final thoughts: let’s move from waste to resource!

The facts are clear. When comparing compost vs landfill, composting wins – environmentally, economically and socially. Landfilling food waste means sealing off its potential. Composting releases it.

Whether you’re a local council, a business owner or a household, you can play a role in making that shift. It’s not just about what we throw away—it’s about what we choose to do with it.

 

Contacting Waster

Looking for a specific bin service? Check out our waste recycling shop and find the best deals in terms of pricing and services.

Also, please call 1300 WASTER (1300 927 837), or email us at enquiries@waster.com.au if you have any further questions.

 

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