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Houston expert urges more composting to cut landfill methane and boost soil health
Summary
On City Pulse, Steve Steltzer explained home and industrial composting options, urged curb pickup for apartment dwellers, and cited program figures that about 25% of municipal solid waste is bio-based and that landfill methane is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Steve Steltzer, identified in the broadcast as “Houston’s going green guru,” told City Pulse viewers that composting — at home or at industrial facilities via curb pickup — can divert food scraps and yard trimmings from landfills and improve soil health.
Steltzer described backyard composting techniques and demonstrated kitchen caddies and larger containers, saying viewers can “get good at this, and you can do it yourself in your backyard.” He recommended curb pickup and industrial-scale composting for residents who live in apartments.
The program provided several waste statistics used in the segment: it said municipal solid waste is roughly 25% bio-based, with about 12.5% food scraps and 12.8% yard trimmings; it also stated that methane from landfills is "25 times worse than carbon dioxide" for the atmosphere. Those figures were presented on-air; this article reports them as stated in the broadcast and does not independently verify the numbers.
Steltzer pointed viewers to online resources (his YouTube and the Green Building Resource Center website) for how-to guidance. The segment framed composting as a practical step to reduce methane emissions and build healthier soil in urban settings.
The broadcast offered how-to guidance rather than local policy changes or new municipal programs; it noted options for curb pickup and industrial composting but did not specify local program names, pickup schedules or fees in the segment.
