In advance of upcoming statewide changes for collecting and accepting organic waste, the City of Elk Grove has launched a new campaign urging residents to “Erase Food Waste.”
The Erase Food Waste campaign’s goal is to reduce the amount of organic waste generated by the Elk Grove community. The campaign will use social, digital and print materials to educate residents about food waste and the actions they can take to minimize their impact.
“The EPA estimates that Californians throw out more than 30 percent of the food that they buy,” said Elk Grove’s Recycling and Waste Manager, Heather Neff. “By understanding how shopping, cooking, and consumption habits lead to waste, people can make adjustments that significantly decrease the amount of food they throw out, which leads to thousands of dollars in savings per year for a typical household.”
Organic waste is the largest source of waste in landfills, where it produces methane and other greenhouse gas emissions. Planning shopping trips and meals, reusing ingredients or leftovers, properly storing food, washing produce, understanding the difference between “best by,” “sell by,” “use by,” and expiration dates, and composting inedible food, all help to keep food from having to be discarded. Additionally, donating edible food, such as fruit and vegetables from home gardens to local charities can help address the pervasive problem of food insecurity.
“Decreased emissions and environmental benefits aren’t the only positives that come from erasing food waste,” said Recycling Coordinator, Traci Goularte. “Donating food instead of throwing it out can help families across the country and in our community regain access to healthy, nutritious food.”
For more information on the Erase Food Waste campaign, visit:
http://www.elkgrovecity.org/city_hall/departments_divisions/garbage_recycling
