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How do we package food products sustainably in coming decades? (lemmy.world)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I imagine all plastics will be out of the question. I'm wondering about what ways food packaging might become regulated to upcycling in the domestic or even commercial space. Assuming energy remains a $ scarce $ commodity I don't imagine recycling glass will be super practical as a replacement. Do we move to more unpackaged goods and bring our own containers to fill at markets? Do we start running two way logistics chains where a more durable glass container is bought and returned to market? How do we achieve a lower energy state of normal in packaging goods?

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Composting releases carbon. Turns out that landfills successfully sequester carbon rather effectively.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That statement is naturally only true if you don't think about it too much -

Landfills emit methane which is far worse than simple CO2
The use of compost replaces other sources of carbon which may be coming from fossil sources

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Composting releases the same methane that landfills do.

Landfills emit methane when they are filled with biodegradable trash. Parent comment is talking about increasing the volume of biodegradable trash.

Landfills filled with non-biodegradable trash do not emit methane.

I've got nothing against composting in general, but it should not be thought of as either a carbon neutral process or as a solution to trash. It is a solution only to biomass that cannot be readily sequestered from the biosphere.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Composting releases the same methane that landfills do.

I don't think this is correct - methane is produced in anaerobic decomposition, while aerobic decomposition will release CO2.

I've got nothing against composting in general, but it should not be thought of as either a carbon neutral process or as a solution to trash. It is a solution only to biomass that cannot be readily sequestered from the biosphere.

I'd agree that it's a harm reduction strategy, but food production will always have some amount of biomass involved that needs to be taken care of - composting is a beneficial strategy for making good use of this biomass.