Zero Waste Advocacy Gets Real – In Our Own Backyard!

On Tuesday, February 17th, a crew of Eco-Patriots went to the Boulder City Council meeting to voice our support for a draft ordinance that would require recycling and composting. Supporters of the ordinance were encouraged to wear green as a non-verbal “thumbs up” to the council. We happily handed out our “Kermit was wrong” shirts to the eco-minded.

Sustainability Maven Sarah Martinez addressed the council, sharing our experience working with large volume foodservice operators around the country. “We have seen that the best approach to waste diversion is for government entities to take the lead. When municipalities require recycling and composting, it levels the playing field and sends the signal that compostable and recyclable materials are valuable.”

She continued by preaching the benefits of composting. When food goes to a landfill, it emits methane – a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. When food is composted, it creates valuable soil amendment that reduces the need for irrigation, conserves water, mitigates storm water run-off, and minimizes the need for artificial fertilizers.

She also stressed the importance of recycling, which reduces demand on natural resources and eases pressure on landfills. Our fingers are crossed for passage of the ordinance this spring.

With organizations and individuals increasingly interested in sustainability, and government entities doing the same, how we manage the materials we generate will continue to be a hot topic. For foodservice operators, environmentally preferable packaging offers an opportunity to not only advance their sustainability efforts, but also to communicate their commitment to customers.

What’s not to love?