Archive: Around Town

The Tompkins County Solid Waste Division has received a nearly $15,000 waste reduction grant from the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I). The grant was accepted by unanimous vote at the February 17th meeting of the County Legislature.

The project – Save the Food: Cooking Up a Food Waste Prevention Campaign for Tompkins County – will further the County's goal of 75% waste diversion by the end of 2016.

"Food waste source reduction offers a tremendous opportunity for pollution prevention, resource conservation and sustainable materials management," said Solid Waste Manager Barbara Eckstrom. "By offering potential cost savings to numerous stakeholders, we feel this project provides a triple bottom line approach to addressing an important topic affecting communities across New York State."

"Our goal is to reduce residential food waste before it is generated," according to Kat McCarthy, Waste Reduction and Recycling Specialist. "In 2011, the EPA reported a staggering 96% of the 36 million tons of food waste generated in the U.S. was discarded as trash, a portion of which could have been used to feed the approximate 14% of New Yorkers who are food insecure."

Elements of the Tompkins County project will include development of an educational module for classroom presentations and tours and a community screening and panel discussion of the video 'Just Eat It.' A social media campaign will also be employed to inspire residents to take simple steps to reduce waste. At the County's food scraps recycling drop spots, tools and tips will be shared to help participants save money on shopping trips while watching their waste.

Tompkins County Solid Waste intends to collaborate with local organizations such as the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF) to implement the grant.

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