The city of Albuquerque announced the initiation of a one-year pilot project to assess food scrap diversion at the Department of Senior Affairs CASA Kitchen and Explora’s concessions run by Three Sister’s Kitchen. The Sustainability Office oversees the project, and the compostable materials are transported to Soilutions by the local hauler Little Green Bucket. This new approach, launched as a bid to enhance environmental sustainability, aims to transform waste practices while simultaneously improving economic efficiency.
The initial phase of this forward-thinking initiative is revealing promising results. At Soilutions, the compostable materials undergo transformation into finished compost. The pilot project is aimed at identifying ways to save both food and money and promote sustainable waste practices. To date, the pilot has successfully diverted 164 cubic feet of material from the landfill. With approximately one-third of the U.S. food supply going to waste, and an estimated 112,000 tons wasted annually in Albuquerque, diverting these items from landfills not only prevents methane emissions but also generates valuable compost, supporting soils and plants while reducing greenhouse gases, according to a press release by the city of Albuquerque.
These efforts have garnered praises from experts involved with sustainability in Albuquerque. "Albuquerque is paving the path toward a more climate resilient future," said Sandra West, Albuquerque Sustainable Waste Specialist, according to a press release by the city of Albuquerque. "Together, we are utilizing nature’s process of recycling nutrients in kitchen scraps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, work towards Climate Action Plan goals, and build healthy local soils."
In addition to improving environmental sustainability locally, this initiative encourages participation among community partners. "As an organization committed to improving community health and environment, diverting food scraps and food packaging from landfills is important to us," said Anzia Bennett, Three Sisters Kitchen’s Executive Director, according to a press release by the city of Albuquerque. "We're thrilled for the opportunity to partner with the City to implement compost collection at our cafe at Explora."
Such collaborations demonstrate a shared vision and collective commitment towards this cause. "As a local, community-centered food scrap collection business, we are happy to support the City’s work to direct compostable materials to feeding soils instead of landfills," said Brad Weikel, Founder of Little Green Bucket, according to a press release by the city of Albuquerque.