Cities’ Exclusive Agreements With Trash Collectors Are Holding Back Community Composters
ILSR’s Jess Del Fiacco and Brenda Platt talk to three community composters in California who have been impacted by solid waste franchise districts.
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Webinar: Government Support for Community Composting Part 1: Spotlight on New York City
Are you a local government interested in reducing and recycling wasted food and curious to learn how you can help spur community-scale composting? Or perhaps you are a community-oriented composter or micro hauler searching for public-private partnerships. This webinar, Government Support for Community Composting Part 1: Spotlight on New York City, is for you!… Read More
Recap of Compost-Related Bills in Maryland’s 2022 Legislative Session
With momentum from the wins for composting achieved during Maryland’s 2021 legislative session, ILSR’s Composting Initiative team supported three composting-related bills during Maryland’s 2022 legislative session. Our team continues to push to advance necessary and visionary policy on composting, waste diversion, and healthy soils in Maryland.… Read More
New Bill on Waste Diversion and On-Farm Composting Introduced in Maryland House
ILSR’s Composting for Community team has worked closely with Delegate Regina T. Boyce to introduce the Solid Waste Disposal and Diversion and On-Farm Composting and Compost Use bill (HB 1070) for Maryland’s 2022 legislative session.… Read More
Surcharges On Waste Disposal Fund Composting
More than 42 million tons of food scraps are landfilled or burned in the US each year, as estimated by the EPA. One reason among many is lack of adequate funding to prevent, rescue, and recycle wasted food. One funding mechanism with a proven track record of raising funds to reduce and recycle waste is the establishment of a per-ton surcharge on waste landfilled or incinerated. This article features ten examples of existing regulations that allocate revenue from waste disposal surcharges to fund waste diversion, reuse, recycling, composting, and other sustainability efforts, and extracts best practices and possible roadblocks that may help to guide the development of new legislation to fund composting and divert waste.… Read More
The EPA Recognizes ILSR for Diverting Food Waste From Landfills
The Environmental Protection Agency announced that it recognizes the Institute for Local Self-Reliance as an awardee in the regional grant category for building resilient and healthy communities, advancing local composting, and enhancing soils for local food production. … Read More
Through Pedal-Power, Community Composters Cultivate Deeper Connections with their Community
Sophia Hosain is joined by Composting for Community’s intern Alondra Sierra and Elinor Crescenzi, an activist, organizer, and a founding member of the Food Cycle Collective in Pomona, California.
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The Institute for Local Self-Reliance Launches a New Online Community Composting 101 Course
A new online course from ILSR will support the expansion of locally-based composting initiatives at community gardens, farms, schools, and other sites. Composting transforms food scraps and other materials into a valuable product that improves soil health, while recycling nutrients that would otherwise be disposed. Composting also helps communities reduce wasted food and combat climate change. … Read More
Brenda Platt Explains the Past, Present, and Future of Composting
Brenda Platt joins Charlie Pioli on “The Community Composting Podcast” to discuss the history of community composting, the implementation of state-wide composting policies, and institutionalizing zero waste. They dive into local and state wide composting policies and the necessary paradigm shift to become a zero waste nation. … Read More