Turning Green Waste into Garden Gold with Subpod!

Written by Noah Moon

Haven't heard of Subpod yet? Let’s catch you up! Subpod is an in-garden worm farm that turns your food waste into kickass compost. It's odourless, pest-proof, and doubles as a funky seat.

Subpod launched early in 2020, with a goal of getting 20,000 people composting by the end of last year. We want to tell you about those 20,000 people – the everyday people who've put their foot down against food waste, landfills and climate change.

Do you know how much food the average person throws out? According to The AJAE we throw away around 31% of our food each year. That's the equivalent of buying five bags of groceries at the store, and just dumping two in the parking lot. Every time you shop.

The average household produces about 22lbs of organic waste every week, which adds up to around 7,716lbs a year. But what happens to that waste?

Most of it gets sent straight to landfill, mixed in with old tyres, clothes, nappies and plastic bags. When organic waste tries to decompose in toxic conditions, it ferments, creating poisonous greenhouse gases like methane and CO2. Those gasses get released into the atmosphere, worsening climate change and the overall good vibes of our planet. Bummer, man.

So what happens when we compost our green waste?

We recycle all the nutrients in the food that never got a chance to feed us! Instead, it goes back into the soil to grow us new food, or support our trees and the animals that depend on them. It also never gets the chance to create greenhouse gasses, slicing your carbon footprint like a water bottle in one of those weird samurai sword demonstration videos.

So what difference does 20,000 people composting make? Turns out, a big one! Right now, the Subpod community is diverting 17,000 tons of food waste from landfill each year. That's the weight of 69 Statues of Liberty!

They’re also saving 12,000 tons of CO2 from being spewed into the atmosphere (a pinch heavier than the Leaning Tower of Pisa's weight). Since gas is pretty light, think of it this way: All that CO2 could cover an area of more than 6,100 cubic meters – which would fill about 76 of these bad boys:

You might be thinking 'Alright, but what does all this mean?'

It means that despite what you've been reading in the news, hearing on the TV, or worrying about late at night – everyday people can make a difference. They already are! 20,000 people is such a small fraction of our world's population. Seriously, it looks like this: 0.0000026062.

If such a small number of people in the world can have such a giant impact, imagine the difference that 1% – or 10% of the world composting could make!

Real change starts with everyday people doing something small. You don't have to go vegan, give up your car or try to make so little trash it fits inside a jar. All those things are amazing, of course, they can just be a bit difficult for everyday people to do.

But anyone can compost.

Our ancestors composted before it even had a name – when feeding your waste back to the garden it came from was as normal as putting trash in the bin is for us. But landfills shouldn't be normal. Why would we pollute our planet needlessly when a solution as simple as composting is available?

But don’t take our word for it! Watch testimonials from Subpod community members below and let them tell you how easy composting can be.

Giordana from Baltimore County, Maryland

Why compost? For some, having a good supply of compost in the garden is a no-brainer! But for people like Giordana, there’s a deeper reason that inspires them to change the way they waste.

“I see climate change as a justice issue. Everyone should have the right to safety from climate-related disasters, and anything that I and my family can do to mitigate that, is important to us. So, we decided that we would undertake backyard composting.”

Each year, food waste contributes over 6.6 trillion lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. The total weight of all those polluting gases is 8x heavier than all the cars in America! By taking a stance against food waste, Giordana has found an easy way to combat climate change – and fall in love with her garden.

Hunter from Dallas, Texas

Hunter is one of many compost cowboys using Subpod in the state of Texas! Subpod suits heaps of different climates, but it's especially good at coping with sun and heat – two things Texans know all about.

“Subpod has been an extremely easy, convenient and effective way to take the food scraps from our house and create the compost that we need to grow new fruits and vegetables."

Jenny from San Diego, CA, USA

Jenny felt the sting of food waste during lockdown, like many others. She started looking for a way to compost after noticing how much food was wasted while cooking at home in quarantine.

“During quarantine, we started to cook a lot more, and we realised how much stuff we were just throwing out. I heard about Subpod, and thought I’d give it a try – I’ve never done anything like this at all!”

For a first time composter, it’s going great. Jenny has a beautiful garden growing and her compost worms look healthy and happy!