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Zero Food Waste in the Trash:Workshop on
reducing/recovering food wasteMorning Session: The Big Picture
Sponsored by Muskie School of Public Service/USM
Food waste is a worldwide problem
33% of all food produced in the world
is never consumed (United Nations)
Food makes up 20% of landfill weight – the single largest
municipal waste source
Leftover food in landfills breaks down to produce methane - a gas with 25 times the global warming potential of carbon
dioxide
Wasted food produces 14% of our greenhouse gas in U.S.
Environmental impact of wasting food
(U.S. data)
Wasting food =Wasting resources
Each time food is wasted, all the resources that went into producing, processing, packaging and transporting that food are wasted too
Wasted: Huge amounts of chemicals, energy, water, fertilizer and land used to produce food never eaten and vast quantities of fuel used to process, refrigerate and transport food that is thrown away
Wasted food = wasted money
(U.S. data)
The average U.S. family throws out
$130 to $230 worth of food/month
Social impact of wasting food
1 in 6 Americans lack a
secure supply of food while
we waste 40% of what
is produced
What’s happening in Maine
Food and other organics make
up 43% of Maine’s
residential waste, more than paper, plastic, glass and metal.
Only about 5% of organics are
composted
The practice of recovering food scraps and edible food that would otherwise go to
waste
Farms
Schools
Restaurants
Supermarkets
Households
What’s the solution?
Food Recovery
Taking action
Remove leftover food from landfills = the same impact on greenhouse gas emissions as taking 25% of all cars in America off the
road
Divert 15% of food currently going to waste = enough to cut the number of
food insecure Americans in half
Encourage institutions to purchase so-called “ugly” fruits & vegetables = help farmers find new markets for products
currently going to waste
EPA/USDAFood Waste Reduction Goal(2015)
Cut Food Waste
by 50% by 2030
Conserve our
nation's natural
resources
Improve overall
food security
State of MaineFood Recovery Hierarchy2015
§2101-B. Food recovery hierarchy
1. Priorities. It is the policy of the State to support the solid waste management hierarchy in section 2101 by preventing and diverting surplus food and food scraps from land disposal or incineration in accordance with the following order of priority:
A. Reduction of the volume of surplus food generated at the source; [2015, c. 461, §1 (NEW).]
B. Donation of surplus food to food banks, soup kitchens, shelters and other entities that will use surplus food to feed hungry people; [2015, c. 461, §1 (NEW).]
C. Diversion of food scraps for use as animal feed; [2015, c. 461, §1 (NEW).]
D. Utilization of waste oils for rendering and fuel conversion, utilization of food scraps for digestion to recover energy, other waste utilization technologies and creation of nutrient-rich soil amendments through the composting of food scraps; and [2015,c. 461, §1 (NEW).]
E. Land disposal or incineration of food scraps. [2015, c. 461, §1 (NEW).]
[ 2015, c. 461, §1 (NEW) .]
2. Guiding principle. It is the policy of the State to use the order of priority in this section, in conjunction with the order of priority in section 2101, as a guiding principle in making decisions related to solid waste and organic materials management.
[ 2015, c. 461, §1 (NEW) .]
School cafeterias serve30.5 million lunches every single day,on average
School food waste estimated at $1.2 billion of food each year
The challenge: Feed students healthy, great tasting food that meets USDA guidelines
Why food gets wasted:
Short lunch shift
Eating lunch before recess
Eating lunch before usual lunch hour
“Every day, we’re teaching kids that food
is trash.”
-Jonathan Bloom
creator of website,
Wasted Food
Strategies toreduce food waste
Purchase only what will be served in a day or two.
Purchase seconds from farmers for dishes where produce’s shape or color not integral to quality of dish
Shrink size of take-out container. Restaurants that shrink the size of take-out container discover more food goes home. Customers like smaller containers -
Cut back on number of menu choices
Reduce portion size on dishes that routinely come back from table with leftovers
Creative use of pre-consumer leftovers, like garlic, potato and onion peels for stock
Nose-to-tail and root-to-stem recipes/dining
Donate surplus food to food bank
What happens to unused food at U.S. restaurants
(Food Waste Reduction Alliance, 2014)
84.3% thrown
out
14.3% recycled
1.4% donated
How itworks
Equipped with simple touch screen connected to waste bins that weigh each item.
Staff log everything they throw away – where it comes from (peelings or leftovers), the food type (vegetable), and the specific product (onion)
Winnow’s smart meters identify what foods are being thrown away to help restaurants track where most waste is produced and helpt to identify patterns of waste, thus reducing food waste and increasing profit margins
“The way we buy and cook food is so responsible. But the way we discard food? It’s not.”
-Alex Raij, NYC chef
and restaurant owner,
speaking about how farm-to-table restaurants should extend
their sustainable philosophy toward food
to their garbage
Why perishable food is vulnerable to lossduring transport &distribution
Inconsistent refrigeration
Waiting too long at loading docks
Rejection of perishable food shipments If no other buyer is found, shipment thrown
out
If shipment makes it to market, may have shorter shelf life
May be difficult to find place to accept donated shipment if quantity is large
Our foodshoppinghabit
“We buy our food based on how it looks and how it’s packaged, not the calories we can get from it. We shop with our eyes. That’s why produce is first in the door.”
Mark Lapping
Distinguished University Professor Emeritus
University of Southern Maine
Why there iswaste on a farm
Farmers plant more than needed to hedge against pests and weather
May not be able to harvest food:
1) damage from pests
2) weather and/or disease or
3) lack of available labor
Cost of transportation and labor greater than the market price of produce
An average family of 4 wastes about 25% of the food they buy
Fresh fruits and
vegetables
DairyMeat
Seafood
Causes of household food waste
Food spoilageOver-
preparing
Date label confusion
Overbuying
Not enough meal planning
Date Label Confusion:
“Sell by”“Best if used by”“Expires on”
Product dating not required by Federal regulations.
The only exception: infant formula
FDA does not require food firms to place "expired by", "use by" or "best before" dates on food products.
This information provided entirely at discretion of manufacturer and serves as manufacturer’s suggestions for peak quality (USDA).
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-
product-dating/food-product-dating
Organic Waste Bans and Universal Recycling Lawsin New England
Vermont – 2012 universal recycling law includes ban on organic waste in landfills to be phased in gradually, starting with companies that generate large amount of food waste. By 2020, Vermont’s law will cover anyone who generates any amount of food waste, including residents. In contrast, the three other New England states’ bans cover only certain commercial, industrial and institutional entities, with variation among them.
Businesses can donate anything salvageable to groups serving meals to the needy. Impact of the law: Vermont Food Bank saw food donations increase by 60 percent the following year.
Massachusetts – 2014 organic waste ban prohibits businesses and institutions generating 1 ton or more of food waste weekly ― such as grocery stores, hospitals, colleges, breweries and larger restaurants ― from throwing food in the trash.
Connecticut – 2014 organic waste recycling mandate for certain organic materials. The mandate requires generators to source-separate organic materials for composting on-site using permitted equipment or through authorized composting facility.
Rhode Island – 2014 organic waste ban prohibits food waste in landfills and promotes recycling of food residuals via composting and anaerobic digestion.
RecentProposed Maine Legislation:
LD 1578(2016)
Would have required producers that generate 1 ton or more of food scraps to divert that material from landfills.
Target producers: grocery stores, retailers, restaurants, hotels, event and conference centers and schools within 20 miles of a compost facility.
Recent Proposed Maine Legislation:
LD 1534(2017)
LD 1534- An Act To Address Hunger, Support Maine Farms and Reduce Waste
(Status: Carried over to the next session of 128th Maine Legislature)
Creates the Maine food producers donation tax credit. The tax credit program allows food producers to apply for a tax credit equal to 50% of the fair market value of the donated food when they donate such food to a nonprofit food assistance organization or school.
Provides immunity from civil liability in regards to injury, illness or death due to the condition of the donated food for a charitable or nonprofit organization and its employees who distribute food without charge or at less than fair market value. The immunity also applies to a hospital or health care facility or eating establishment that donates food.
Creates the Maine Food Recovery Commission. The commission must review and evaluate the economic, environmental and human costs of food waste in Maine and assess current systems of food production, distribution and waste to determine where and how food is wasted in a manner inconsistent with Maine's food recovery hierarchy as well as develop a strategy to address any inconsistencies with the food recovery hierarchy.
RecentProposed Federal Legislation
• HR 4184, The Food Recovery Act (2015) aims to reduce the amount of edible food sent to landfills.
(Rep. Chellie Pingree, ME)
• HR 5298, The Food Date Labeling Act (2016) aims to make food date labels more consistent and less confusing, so less food is needlessly thrown out.
(Rep. Chellie Pingree, ME)
Food waste and 2018 Farm Bill
Largest piece of food and agriculture-related legislation in the United States
Up for passage every five years
Provides opportunity to address food waste on a national scale
Zero Food Waste in the Trash:Reducing/recovering food waste
workshopMorning Session: Recovering
food scraps
Sponsored by Muskie School of Public Service/USM
Benefitsand Impact
Number and weight of trash
bags drop
Potential for saving money
on hauling costs
Opportunities to invest cost savings
in other sustainable
practices
Promote sustainable practices to
community and customers
Leftover food becomes compost
not trash
Planning Strategy
Training & Monitoring
Leadership
Community Support
Set Goals
Identify & Solve Problems
Service Learning
Bins and Signs
Share Results
No contamination
from plasticCollect Data
Food recovery in restaurants
Signs front and back of the house
Staff Training
Sit-down restaurants vs Bus-
your-own-table cafes
Bins close at hand
Buckets & bins in school cafeteria sorting station
Adapt bucket and bin colors to meet your school’s needs.
1) Liquids: 5-gal. plastic bucket
2) Recyclables: Recycling Tote with liner OR Metal folding frame and clear bag
3) Redeemable cans/bottles (optional): Barrel container with hole cut in top
4) Trash: Barrel with liner
5) Food Scraps: 10-gal. Bucket with liner
6) Bin for Stacking Trays
Barriers to collecting food wastein afast-paced environment
Concern about odor
Not enough storage for
collected food scraps
Worry about vermin/fruit
flies
Not enough room for bins
in kitchen
Worries About Odor
Increase number of pick-ups per week.
Keep containers rinsed out. Use liners as needed.
Keep lids closed on all bins when not in use and keep bins out of sun prior to collection.
Remove Food Waste Bin from cafeteria after every meal and empty contents into a larger Food Waste Tote. Store Tote until pick-up.
Place newspaper on top of each new layer of food waste in Food Waste Tote.
Empty Liquids Bucket after every meal.
Bag up recycling after each meal and move to storage area until pick-up.
Why it’s useful to collect databefore and after
Data help you to tell your story:
To track progress
Set goals
Identify areas for improvement
To share with your community and your customers
To support a review of hauling contracts
Grant applications
Hauling trash costs money
No food waste in the dumpster =
Opportunity to trim costs from hauling budget
Potential for cost savings
Savings depend on existing contract language for trash hauling:
If contract is based on weight, potential for cost savings once organics are removed from the trash bags.
Why? Because trash will weigh less
If contract based on frequency: As program improves, potential to renegotiate number of trash pick-ups during the week.
Why? Because less trash in the dumpster
Fees forhauling organicstocompostingfacility
In Maine, fees for hauling organics to composting/digestion facility generally competitive with trash hauling fees
Chart for comparing tipping and hauling feeswith and without food scraps
Fee Recycling Organics Trash TOTAL
Municipal Hauling(based on weight or frequency)
Private Hauling (based on weight or frequency)
Tipping Fee/Tonat Landfill
Tipping Fee/Ton At Waste-to-Energy Facility
Tipping Fee/Ton At Recycling Facility
TOTAL
Opportunities to investcost savings insustainable practices
Reduce or eliminate use of Styrofoam trays, cups and/or bowls and replace with recyclable/compostable or reusable items
Swap out paper towels for electric hand dryers in bathrooms
How does compostingwork?
Anything that was once alive can be composted
Bacteria: The powerhouse of a compost pile. Break down plant matter and create carbon dioxide and heat
Microbes, worms, snails, insects and fungi: Use oxygen to break down material in the pile
Compost Recipe
Best composting ratio: 25 or 30 parts of carbon to one part of nitrogen in the compost bin.
Carbon rich “Browns” (dry): For example, shredded newspaper, dead leaves, egg shells, straw, hay, sawdust and wood chips
Nitrogen-rich “Greens” (wet): For example, food and vegetable waste, grass clippings, seaweed, coffee grounds
Keep the pile aerated by adding oxygen
The result: Nutrient-rich soil humus.
It’s a biological process,like composting,but without the oxygen
Takes place in oxygen-free (and heated) container.
Naturally occurring microorganisms break down organic waste (food waste and manure)
The products:
Gas—mostly methane along with some carbon dioxide. After some treatment, the methane gas can be burned just like natural gas to generate electricity.
Fertilizer
Clean solids commonly used as bedding for cows or as soil supplement
Finding a facility near youthat accepts food scraps:
ME Dept. of EnvironmentalProtectionContacts
DEP Contact Region of State Covered
Phone Email
Carla J. Hopkins All regions 207-215-3314 carla.j.hopkins@maine.gov
Jay Duncan Northern Maine 207-592-2859 jay.b.duncan@maine.gov
Jim Pollock Central MaineWestern Maine
207-592-8343 jim.c.pollock@maine.gov
Roger Johnstone Eastern Maine 207-557-1173 roger.h.johnstone@maine.gov
Mike Clark Southern Maine 207-462-0788 michael.s.clark@maine.gov
Mark KingComposting and Organics Management
207-592-0455 mark.a.king@maine.gov
School Grants
Ecomaine School Recycling Grant
Receive up to $5,000 for your school
DEADLINE: October 31, 2017
Any schools serving ecomaine’s 57 member communities can apply for up to $5,000 each in School Recycling Grant funding. Many recent grants have focused on food waste reduction through funding of services like Garbage to Garden or construction projects involving building on-site compost bins to feed school gardens.
Find the application and grant contest rules online at ecomaine.org!
The specific link to the rules and application is here: http://www.ecomaine.org/tours-and-educational-outreach/2016-school-recycling-grants/
Equipment Sources for Sorting Stations and Serviceware
Recycle Away – Offers a selection of indoor recycling solutions, http://www.recycleaway.com/
ClearStream Recycling Systems, Inc. – Offers clear bags for recyclables, https://www.clearstreamrecycling.com/default.asp
Huhtamaki North America –Recyclable/compostable trays and other serviceware (office in Waterville, ME), http://www2.us.huhtamaki.com/waterville
State Organic Waste Bans and Waste Recycling Laws:
Vermont
Food Waste Generators Covered
Waste Production Threshold to be Covered
Distance Exemptions
Other
VermontVt. Stat. Ann. tit. 10, § 6605k( 2012 )
Any individual, partnership, company, corporation, association, unincorporated association, joint venture, trust, municipality, the State of Vermont or any agency, department, or subdivision of the State, federal agency, or any other legal or commercial entity.
2014: 104 tons/ year 2015: 52 tons/ year 2016: 26 tons/ year 2017: 18 tons/ year 2020: Food scraps banned from landfill completely
20 miles
State Organic Waste Bans and Waste Recycling Laws:
Massachusetts
Food Waste Generators Covered
Waste Production Threshold to be covered
Distance Exemptions
Other
Massachusetts310 Mass. Code Regs. 19.017( 2014)
Any individual, partnership, association, firm, company, corporation, department, agency, group, public body (including a city, town, district, county, authority, state, federal, or other governmental unit).
1 ton/week* *Generators are covered only for weeks during which they meet the threshold
None
State Organic Waste Bans and Waste Recycling Laws:
Connecticut
Food Waste Generators Covered
Waste Producti9on Threshold to be covered
Distance Exemptions
Other
ConnecticutConn. Gen. Stat. Ann. §22a-226e (2014)
Commercial food wholesaler or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, resort or conference center.
2014: 104 tons/year 2020: 52 tons/ year
20 miles
State Organic Waste Bans and Waste Recycling Laws:
Rhode Island
Food Waste Generators Covered
Waste Production Threshold to be Covered
Distance Exemptions
Other
Rhode IslandR.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § 23-18.9-17( 2016)
Commercial food wholesaler or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, resort or conference center, banquet hall, restaurant, religious institution, military installation, prison, corporation, hospital or other medical care institution, casino, and covered educational facility
2016: 104 tons/year 2018: 52 tons/ year for covered educational facilities
15 miles Waiver from the above requirements if the landfill tipping fee is less than the fee charged by an authorized composting or anaerobic digestion facility located within 15 miles of the business.
State Organic Waste Bans and Waste Recycling Laws:
California
Food Waste GeneratorsCvoered
WasteProduction Threshold to be covered
Distance Exemptions
Other
CaliforniaCal. Pub. Res. Code §42649.81(2016)
Any business, meaning a commercial or public entity such as a firm, partnership, corporation, or association organized as a for-profit or nonprofit entity. Multifamily residential dwellings are exempted.
2016: 8 cubic yards per week 2017: 4 cubic yards per week 2020: 2 cubic yards per week IF statewide organic waste disposal has not been reduced to 50% of the level in 2014.
None (but there are exemptions for rural jurisdictions)
Morning Session Panelists
Topic: Recovering food scraps for composting/digestion
Tania Ferrante - South Portland High School
Troy Moon - City of Portland Sustainability Coordinator
Becky Secrest - Environmental Planner, Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments
Becky Shepherd - Owner, Wild Oats Bakery & Café
Katrina Venhuizen - ecomaine Environmental Educator
Guiding Questionsfor thePanel
1. What are your organization’s best practices to recover food waste (food scraps or edible food) –
2. What have been your organization’s successes in working to keep food waste out of the trash -
3. What have been the challenges and barriers
4. What is the future of food recovery in Maine –
And what needs to change to make this food recovery effort sustainable going forward –
5. What needs to be done to keep connecting the organizations in the state working on this initiative so that the result is expansion and coordination of programs, and duplication is avoided. For example, should the approach be state-wide, county or local -
6. What advice would you give Workshop participants on actions they can take to keep food waste (food scraps or edible food) out of the trash -
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