Smart Business Recycling E-Newsletter
Announcements
Join the Food Recovery Challenge!
Got too much food? EPA has launched its Food Recovery Challenge. Organizations and businesses can pledge to improve their sustainable food management practices and report their results to the EPA. As a participant, you can reduce your environmental footprint; help your community by donating nutritious, leftover food; save money by purchasing less; gain visibility by having your name listed on the EPA’s website; and much more! Read about how you can join the EPA’s FRC here.
Registration is Open for US Composting Council Conference & Tradeshow
Join the US Composting Council at their Silver Anniversary of the world’s largest composting conference and exhibition for the organics management industry. Not only will you hear the latest about collecting organics, manufacturing and using compost, and producing renewable energy from organics; you will be part of their historic celebration! Click here for more links to their composting tradeshow to see the latest in equipment and tools for effective programs
News
L.A. County and SCS Engineers Reach out to Commercial Waste Generators
Los Angeles County''''''''''''''''s Department of Public Works is on a mission. It''''''''''''''''s targeting the more than 1,300 businesses identified as large commercial waste generators in the county''''''''''''''''s unincorporated communities. Its goal is to save landfill space, meet county waste diversion goals and comply with state recycling and organics management mandates as part of its Smart Business Recycling Program. The County has contracted with California-based SCS Engineers, an environmental consulting firm, to reach out to these businesses and determine their needs for implementing recycling and organics programs or expanding those programs already in place. The county''''''''''''''''s Smart Business Recycling Program involves visits from both the county and SCS to help determine the needs of each business. View article here.
Ugly Produce Can Make Beautiful Dishes
California grows 80 percent of our nation''''''''''''''''s produce, but much of it won''''''''''''''''t make it to your table. Farmers and grocers alike want to sell their best bounty. It''''''''''''''''s estimated that 20 to 40 percent of our produce is wasted due to cosmetic imperfections. Consumers are increasingly aware of this challenge and are willing to buy blemished produce especially if there''''''''''''''''s a price break. Chef Jill Davie said there are so many dishes you can make that look and taste beautiful. Click here to see some recipes and an Instagram campaign known as "Ugly Fruit and Veg" has more than 30,000 followers.
New Belgium Brewing Company Achieves PLATINUM at Fort Collins Facility!
U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC) has awarded New Belgium Brewing Company the platinum level certification for successfully diverting more than 90 percent of its waste from landfill, incineration and the environment. New Belgium scored 69 out of 81 points across categories such as Reduce, Redesign, Zero Waste Purchasing, Leadership, and Innovation, with highest scores falling in the categories of Reduce, Reuse, and Zero Waste Purchasing. Click here for examples of New Belgium''''''''''''''''s efforts in these areas.
ReFED - A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent
According to ReFED''''''''''''''''s Roadmap, food waste is a solvable problem. The report acts as a guide and a call to action, providing 27 solutions to the food waste problem for each of the different stakeholders involved using economics and data. Read more about these solutions and how you can help solve the food waste problem here.
Laws/Ordinances
Five New Composting Laws California Has Adopted
California has adopted five new composting laws, which provide for or mandate the following: commercial organics recycling, tax exemptions for recycling and composting equipment, detailing organics infrastructure, recycling and composting reporting, and composting promotion, according to CalRecycle, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
Below is a summary of each of the five laws:
- AB 1826 requires businesses to set up recycling services, if they produce at least eight cubic yards of organic waste per week, beginning in April.
- AB 199 provides businesses with tax exemptions as an allowance for recycling and composting equipment and expands the tax exclusion for recycled feedstock to make new products.
- AB 876 requires jurisdictions to report necessary organics infrastructure and locations for new or expanded infrastructure. Counties and agencies will need to forecast their estimated organic waste over a 15-year period.
- AB 901 names CalRecycle as the overseer of existing disposal reporting requirements, and updates reporting requirements for recycling, composting and solid waste disposal facilities.
- AB 1045 requires CalRecycle and other state agencies to develop and implement policies to divert organic waste from landfills and to promote uses for the material.