Category Archives: Waste Stream

Waste Revolution (coming soon)

Bold stuff coming from the UK. Yesterday, the Secretary of State for the Environment Hilary Benn announced plans to turn Britain into a zero waste nation. Eventually. Benn pointed to a goal of diverting 75 percent of household waste from landfill by 2019. In addressing food waste, Benn alluded to the fast-progressing (in the UK) anaerobic […]

October 14, 2009 | Also posted in Energy, International, Stats | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

There’s much ado about kitchen bins in Britain, where there’s talk of a landfill food waste ban. I like seeing the different angles, from diverting food from the waste stream and its environmental benefits to Big Brother/fines. (Can you guess which way my bias slants?) — — The Telegraph brings us this slide show of produce oddities–all of […]

September 18, 2009 | Also posted in Farm, Friday Buffet, International | Comments closed

Getting My Fill

I write plenty about keeping food out of landfills to prevent greenhouse gas emissions. So it was high time I visited a landfill specifically to see what a few methane handling systems look like. Friday, I went to Orange (County, N.C.) Regional Landfill where my trash used to go, before I moved to the next town. My […]

September 14, 2009 | Also posted in Environment | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

A Cape Cod mother reflects on how much trash can collect in just one weekend. The article includes an interesting discussion of reducing waste via Pay-As-You-Throw trash collection. — — Good to see the (tennis) U.S. Open is composting the food scraps from its central kitchens, but why not have composting bins on the concourse for fans? We’ll call […]

September 4, 2009 | Also posted in College, Composting, Energy, Events, Friday Buffet, Trayless, Vermiculture | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Semantics update: Don’t call it waste! After all, you wouldn’t throw away a resource, would you? — — Inmate gleaning?! Sure beats breaking rocks. Besides, how many license plates do states really need? — — Here’s a study assessing the environmental impact of five different scenarios for handling food waste. It turns out that a garbage disposal is […]

August 21, 2009 | Also posted in College, Food Recovery, Friday Buffet | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Less waste through technology: When farmer’s market orders are made in advance online, growers only pick what they know will go to use.  — — The EPA food waste calculator–out sometime in September, I think–will let businesses calculate how diverting food from their waste stream will save them dough. (Hat tip to Lean Path.) — — […]

August 13, 2009 | Also posted in Composting, Farm, Farmers' Market, Friday Buffet | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Here’s an intriguing idea for reducing waste: make it harder to throw stuff away. Designer Nadeem Haidary has created a trash can that tilts into a less-inviting angle the more it gets full. A less cool, but cheaper solution–don’t have a trash can in every room. — —  Bread for the City’s blog has a very interesting look […]

July 3, 2009 | Also posted in Events, Farm, Friday Buffet, School | Comments closed

Seattle Steps Forward

It might feel like any other Monday to you, but it’s a momentous one. After much buildup, Seattle’s mandatory curbside composting begins today! From now on, Seattleites who live in single family homes must separate their food and yard waste from their regular trash. This organic waste will then be collected weekly in a green […]

March 30, 2009 | Also posted in Composting | Comments closed

Recession Concessions

Sometimes a little belt tightening is healthy. Lord knows we’ve had our national belt on pretty loosely these last few decades. The economic downturn might help by forcing businesses and individuals to examine their habits. This USA Today piece on hotel budget trimming had this tidbit buried toward the end: When [the] Hilton Anaheim anticipates […]

March 17, 2009 | Also posted in Composting, General, Supermarket | Comments closed

Down the Drain, in a good way(?)

If I told you that hotels and restaurants could convert their food waste to a down-the-drain liquid in 24 hours, would that interest you? BioHitech America’s high volume organic waste decomposition system can do just that. Apparently, you dump all of your food waste into the stainless steel contraption (which comes in three sizes and […]

March 12, 2009 | Also posted in Environment | Comments closed