Can Compost Heaps Save the Bay?

While I think composting is a good thing to do, if you have space (we do it, for example), I think this article is a gross exaggeration of it's significance.

Composting Is Key To New Business Sector And Protecting The Chesapeake Bay

Composting is a major job creator, according to a new report released by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance nonprofit think tank in Washington, DC, in conjunction with International Compost Awareness Week. According to the report, Pay Dirt: Composting in Maryland to Reduce Waste, Create Jobs, & Protect the Bay, 1,400 new full-time jobs could be supported for every million tons of yard trimmings and food scraps converted into compost that is used locally. Collectively, these jobs could pay wages ranging from $23 million to $57 million.

That's about a 20-40k per year job.  Nothing to sneeze at, but hardly a windfall. 

With compostable materials making up almost half of what Americans set out at the curb, this is good news for communities seeking to balance environmental concerns with the need to create good jobs. “When sent to a landfill or trash incinerator, banana peels, broccoli stalks, and other leftover food scraps are a liability. But when composted, they are a valuable asset,” stated Brenda Platt, lead author of Pay Dirt and director of ILSR’s Composting Makes $en$e project.

Based on a survey of Maryland composters, Pay Dirt found that, on a per-ton basis, composting sustains twice as many jobs as landfilling and four times the number of jobs as burning garbage. On a dollar-per-capital-investment basis, the number of jobs supported by composting versus disposal options was even more striking: 3 times more than landfills, and 17 times more than incinerators. Many of these jobs are skilled jobs such as equipment operators, with typical wages in the $16 to $20 per hour range.

"And what does your daughter do for a living?"

"Why, she pushes banana peels around with a bulldozer."

"Well bless her heart."