On January1, 2024, all French households will be required to sort their biowaste. Composting appears to be the easiest option for complying with these new regulations.
The term refers both to the action of sorting organic waste (peelings, spoiled fruit and vegetables, coffee grounds, etc.) and to the process of decomposing this waste, which takes place thanks to oxygen, humidity and the action of micro-organisms.
Composting is much more than a simple sorting operation, it's a real step in favor of the environment and living things. Contributing to nature's cycle in this way means putting people back into the role of actors in their ecosystem, in the same way as the animals and plants that surround them.
Despite all the good things about it, our beloved compost still suffers from many prejudices and is too often perceived as a constraint rather than an opportunity to take care of ourselves, others and the planet. This new regulation introduced by the government is a real step forward in the field of ecology, but the law is nothing without the support of citizens.
And after all, "why add new rules when there's already a garbage can for my peelings"? With this article, we hope to help you understand the stakes and the importance of such a law.
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Organic waste: a different kind of garbage
Not so long ago, France was predominantly rural, and agricultural practices permeated the whole of society. It was customary to put organic waste in a corner of the garden to nourish the soil and any plantings that were there.
This practice was lost with the urbanization of the country, but also with the introduction of the concept of selective sorting, which taught us that "organic waste goes in the black garbage can". But without a black garbage can, our grandparents managed just as well... Why not take inspiration from these old practices and bring them up to date?
By looking to the past for solutions to the problems of the present, we can quickly fall into the rhetoric of "it was better before" without really thinking things through, and without even asking ourselves what was really better, what wasn't, and what lessons we can learn from the practices of our ancestors.
Humans haven't always behaved virtuously, and it's interesting to question the legacies of the past. However, it seems that composting is one of those good practices that should be revived. To be sure, all you have to do is observe nature.
Take a forest: as the seasons go by, the trees bud, producing fruit that provides food for animals. The soil receives falling leaves and animal excrement, all "organic waste" that enters the earth, degrades and becomes a source of nutrients for plants, which can then grow, produce fruit, feed animals and so on.
Can we really talk about waste when all this organic matter is so essential to the cycle of life? Organic waste" is not just any old garbage, and should be treated as such. To do this, we must first unlearn the idea that it belongs in the black garbage can.
Sorting: a solution or an illusion?
This idea doesn't come from nowhere. Ever since we were children, we've been taught that we should sort our garbage, and in some cases it's become an automatic habit. But what happens to our garbage once it's been thrown away in the garbage can of our choice? It's out of our hands, and that's the problem. The sorting system makes us links in the waste management chain, but gives us no visibility over the whole process.
So we're encouraged to sort to facilitate recycling, but we forget to tell ourselves that, apart from glass, most waste is not infinitely recyclable. Figures vary from one study to another, but around 35% of the waste we put in the yellow garbage can is not actually recycled. So it's clear that, whatever happens, even recyclable waste remains waste, i.e. "an object at the end of its life [...] that no longer has any use", according to the great web encyclopedia.
And the compost in all this... completely escapes this logic. Finally, some reassuring information! It's possible to get a grip on the complete recycling of our "organic waste", which doesn't even meet Wikipedia's definition, since it's so useful in nature's cycle.
Organic matter can be recycled endlessly, as long as we get it out of our heads that it belongs in the black garbage can! Composting is accessible to everyone, whether you're a rural or urban dweller, a child or a pensioner, with or without a garden. It's not a question of stopping sorting, but simply of realizing that sorting is not a miracle solution to waste management. Hence the title of this article: sorting is good, composting is better!
2024, here we are...
As any change of habit takes time to become firmly rooted in everyday life, we invite you to consider your transition to composting now, so that you can look forward to 2024 with complete peace of mind. Take a look at the other articles on our site to find out how compost works in practice. You'll also find plenty of tips and tricks to help you along the way!
