New Fact Sheet Packet Highlights Record-Setting Food Recovery Programs
January 1999
For immediate release
Contact: Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
(202) 232-4108
Washington, D.C. -- Food comprises almost 7% by weight of the total U.S.
municipal solid waste stream. This translates to 14 million tons of
food discards each year. Only a small fraction is recovered -- less
than 5%. The good news is a growing number of food-related businesses
are opting to divert their food discards to useful purposes in place of
the dump. A new fact sheet packet, researched and produced by the
Washington, DC-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Don’t Throw Away
That Food: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction, documents
nine model programs with record-setting food recovery levels. The
research was funded under a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), which also published the results.
The fact sheet packet contains profiles of food recovery programs at a
hospital, college, office building network, recreational facility,
prison system, urban produce market, fairgrounds, and two supermarkets.
Each profile documents the program, collection strategies, end users,
costs, benefits, and tips for replication. The packet includes a
question-and-answer section on operating a food recovery program, tips
for solid waste planners, and resources for more information.
Food-related establishments and recycling coordinators interested in
recovering food will find this packet useful.
"Food recovery is essential to achieving high waste reduction levels,"
says Brenda Platt, Director of Materials Recovery for the Institute for
Local Self-Reliance. "By linking food discard generators and haulers to
food banks, compost operators, and farmers, we can turn garbage into
wealth." Indeed, the record-setting programs featured in Don’t Throw
Away That Food are recovering 50 to 100% of their unwanted food and
reducing their overall solid waste by 33 to 85%. Other benefits include
reduced operating costs and support of local industries and jobs.
Don’t Throw Away That Food (EPA-530-F-98-023) is available free through
the RCRA hotline 1-800-424-9346. Contact the Institute for Local
Self-Reliance for more information on its Waste Reduction Record-Setters
project and related products (2425 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC,
20009, 202-232-4108, Web Site <http://www.ilsr.org>).
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The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is a nonprofit research and
educational organization that provides technical assistance to city and
state government, citizen organizations, and industry to promote
sustainable economic development. For more information on ILSR, its
programs, and its publications, contact ILSR at 2425 18th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20009, phone (202) 232-4108, fax (202) 332-0463, or
visit its World Wide Web Site at http://www.ilsr.org.