An estimated 4,012 tons (8,024,000 pounds!) of food scraps have been diverted to composting through the Business Organics Program! (through June, 2010)
Businesses: You can reduce waste, help your local environment, and maybe even save some money, all by simply diverting food scraps from your kitchen, store coolers, and customer plates. The CVSWMD Business Organics Program provides you with everything you need to get started, from on-site training by District staff to free hauling for the first month and much more.
Businesses located both within CVSWMD member towns and outside the District are welcome to participate. Read on for program details. Or call Mia Roethlein, Program Manager, with specific questions: 802-229-9383 ext.106.
WHY DIVERT FOOD SCRAPS?
Food scraps comprise 20% of the waste Vermonters send to the landfill, and up to 50%-60% of restaurant waste. Not only do organic materials take up a lot of landfill space, they produce greenhouse gases as they decay.
Here’s a Fact Sheet with more information: Environmental Facts (264 kB PDF).
Diverting food scraps can also save your business money on trash disposal. Many participating businesses find that their waste management costs drop when they keep food scraps out of their trash cans and dumpsters and divert them to the organics pickup instead. Once you remove the smelly and heavy food scraps from your business’ waste stream, you won’t need your trash picked up as often.
Here’s a Fact Sheet with more information: Economic Facts (248 kB PDF).
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
The CVSWMD picks up food scraps from participating businesses on its hauling route and diverts them to several composting facilities in the region. The food scraps are recycled into a valuable soil amendment through composting, producing a product that helps build healthy soil for growing more food.
The District offers this program to businesses both within CVSWMD member communities and outside the District; the fee structure differs. See the following fact sheets for details.
- Business Program Facts – In-District (152 kB PDF)
- Business Program Facts – Out-of-District (152 kB PDF)
To help you get started, the CVSWMD Business Organics Program offers all businesses the following:
* Free employee training
* Free instructional signs for your work spaces
* Free hauling of food scraps for the first month
* 100% subsidized tipping fees for the first month
* Free sturdy 48-gallon totes for food scraps
* Help in understanding your trash contract
* Help in renegotiating your trash contract
Join us in getting food scraps out of the wastestream!
Contact Mia Roethlein, Program Manager, at 802-229-9383 ext.106, or e-mail: fieldprograms@cvswmd.org
