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UVLSRPC Projects
Project Administrator:
Olivia Uyizeye
Project Title:
Food Scraps Diversion and Composting
Related Services:
Project Summary:
Billions of tons of food arediscarded every year in the United States. Only 4% of that waste is estimated to end up back in our productive soils through the process of composting. The remaining 96% of food scraps end up in our every day trash that goes to the land fill. There, it makes up nearly a quarter of discarded materials.
The food scraps recovery and composting programs seek to advance and support efforts that reduce food scraps in our landfills.
View our News file on this page's Resource list to learn more. The program includes the following elements:
- support municipalities, schools, and households to identify and implement strategies.
- is built around network and relationship - seeking to identify opportunity and create connections across people and organizations.
- facilitates visioning, planning, and/or material purchase.
- provides (or collaborates on) education in technical and scientific aspects, as well as the social dynamics of eliminating food waste and managing a compost in community or with neighbors.
- works closely with partners to bring the people and resources needed to move goals forward.
Additional Information
ALL
First and foremost we encourage all to first reduce discarded food, then take steps as able and comfortable to divert any remaining food scraps to your own compost pile, or someone else's pile.
This program works with both the easy and hard questions/conditions of food scraps diversion. What can I do with my compost once done? What about contamination in my pile, or animals who want to visit? How do I achieve those hot composting temperature needed to kill weed seeds? And how can I make a financially sensical program? What if my neighbors are against it?
HOUSEHOLDS
Many residents across the region enjoy shopping carefully to minimize waste, and composting at home or in community. This program seeks to expand these efforts through education, supporting connections, and providing materials. By sharing the “how and why” of food scraps diversion - more residents may be willing and able to take on the task.
SCHOOLS
Every school progaram is unique to that community. These school programs may or may not include on-site composting, pick-up service, classroom education, student engagement, or other variations. We work with public schools to develop, sustain, or re-invigorate food scraps diversion programs. We visit schools on site (or virtually) to support visioning, student education, or evaluate an on/off-site composting options. We can also support in the purchase of needed materials.
View the Resource list for videos from our 2021 school trainng, as well as additional resources compiled for school's reference.
MUNICIPALITIES
We support municipalities in understanding and addressing the problem of food scraps sent to landfill. We provide community specific technical assistance in the areas of assessing the scale of the challenge, identifying solutions, providing education of composting and State regulations, and piloting programs for municipal food scaps recovery programs.
Funders:
- US Department of Agriculture, Solid Waste Management Grant