Methane forms in landfills due to decomposing foods, so people are encouraged to compost food. Why is composting (i.e. separating food from other garbage to decompose in dirt) any better?
In: Chemistry
Composting does not create methan the way organic waste in a landfill does. The difference is air.
Composting allows plenty of oxygen into the process and oxygen loving bacteria can break the waste down without creating methane.
Decomposition works differently in low oxygen environments such as buried deep in a landfill inside a plastic bag. Without oxygen only anarobic bacteria can flourish and release methan as they break down food.
Similar to yeast. In the presence of air, like in bread dough, they are able to flourish without making alcohol. Take away the oxygen by trapping them in a tank, and they switch to an anaerobic process and create alcohol as a biproduct.
There is no methan from composting just like there is no alcohol in your bread. Because of plenty of air.
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