Under Construction!
UN Food Waste Index Report 2024 https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/food-waste-index-report-2024
BEWARE of PFAS, microplastics, and sewage sludge…
Collab with Unity House and Master Composters Program
Collaborative composting project with Unity House going on with two Master Composters in our organization 12/23 https://www.facebook.com/unityhouseofcc/posts/pfbid02kbvLXpET4FuBNwH6noCii2Z6AwzBFU52qzUrwrHSPCfqcCSzXdSR3RSEDGhAejTKl?notif_id=1702320951645160¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic_tagged&ref=notif
Featured in Cornell students’ reports “Driving Ithaca to Carbon Neutrality with Curbside Composting” 12/23 – we returned comments back to them regarding their reports. While congratulating them for identifying the need for normalizing composting practice as a critical climate mitigation factor, we believe the curbside composting system should be all abour involving and incentivizing robust local actors and it should not be reliant on the current monopoly hauler Casella with history of multiple violations and lawsuits. Composting system must be decentralized, and locally owned and operated and must support local self reliance. GAIA’s webinar Creating Systems-Level Organics Policy is instructive in this regard. Comments sent 12/12/23
Casella’s “depackaging plant” for compost in Vermont is a disaster of microplastics and farm application https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/market-to-farm-a-new-food-waste-disposal-method-raises-fears-that-microplastics-will-taint-fields-34317978
We Care Denali, a company that composts sewage sludge. On board of the US Composting Council – a clear conflict of interest. https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/AboutUs Along with Waste Management and Waste Connections, which are 2 of the top 4 or 5 integrated waste services corporations in the US. Denali Water is a national corporation that processes sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants and operates other composting facilities. US Composting Council’s 11/29/22 press release is a thing to behold. It recommends putting limits on regulations for PFAS. https://www.compostingcouncil.org/news/625798/USCC-Releases-Positioning-and-Guidance-Statement-on-PFAS-.htm
Outcry around NYC’s composting mixed with sewage sludge https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/30/composting-anaerobic-digestion-food-waste-effective
Sewage sludge land applciation banned in Maine https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/22/i-dont-know-how-well-survive-the-farmers-facing-ruin-in-americas-forever-chemicals-crisis
Conflict of interest in US Organic
Map of all community composting drop-off spots in the city of Ithaca and surrounding area – Coming soon!
Map of municipal composting drop off spots: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1pYJ8O5d16qpZmrYwrY-3f9K6K7A&ll=42.492238619653705%2C-76.40581711191408&z=11
TC RMM’s page for Food Scraps Recycling: https://recycletompkins.org/recycling-and-composting/food-scraps-recycling/
TC Master Composter Program offered through Cornell Cooperative Extension: https://ccetompkins.org/gardening/composting/master-composters
Tompkins Food Policy : Tompkins Food Future : https://www.tompkinsfoodfuture.org/
Residential composting pilot program in Tompkins County ran in 2013-2014 then got scrapped due to the “lack of participation” and “lack of funding” from what we heard … See https://theithacan.org/news/county-to-test-run-curbside-compost-collection/
Composting is a climate issue. Methane emissions from landfills.
Plastics is a dangerous contaminants for soil and microorganisms, and does not belong to compost. Do not put any “bioplastics” | “compostable” either. Most contains plastic and is toxic. There is no regulations about those claims. See Toxicity page: zerowasteithaca.org/toxicity
Quick jumpstart: Zero Waste Chef’s Compost for the Lazy: Throw it in the Ground
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Some Takeaways from October 2021 GAIA’s webinar “Creating System-Level Organics Policy“:
1. Preference is given to decentralized, multiscale composting system that involves many small businesses and local actors – rather than relying on just one industrial composter. (Imagine Casella being in charge!)
2. Fight for diverse and distributed infrastructure. Fight against policies for large-scale industrial infrastructure.
3. Start small; localized composting system that keeps the resources locally is the best (rather than shipping it out 50, 100, 1,000s miles out) – example: Washington DC’s “Composting Incentive Act “– a. the city openly supports and promotes home composting as a law b. offers training and c. offers rebates for participants c. 50 collection points around the city
4. Open dumpsters with food scraps is a five star buffet for rodents (some of us KNOW this so well, dumpster observers) – composting is an imperative especially with climate change.
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