Jan. 27, 2022 – Did you know that food waste accounts for nearly 40% of all waste sent landfills? To make matters worse, while sitting in a landfill, food waste releases significant amounts of potent greenhouse gases, serving as a major contributor to climate change. Now, California is taking action to combat this.
The state of California recently passed a Senate Bill requiring food waste recycling statewide. This means that many businesses and residential neighborhoods have implemented food waste recycling programs. The program here at CSUCI will be implemented throughout the campus this spring.
Through our strategic and thoughtful approach, we’ll balance regulatory compliance with practical implementation, starting with food waste collection bins in all the major food service locations, as well as key locations in each campus building. You’ll be able to identify the food waste collection bins by their green lids and signs indicating what materials may be placed in the collection bin.
You may be wondering what can go in the bins. At this time, only food waste will be collected, including the following:
- Edible food
- Non-edible parts of food, such as bones, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc.
- Dairy items
- Bread
- Produce (fruit and vegetables)
Non-food items such as paper products, ‘compostable’ products, plastics, recyclables, and trash should not be placed in the food waste collection bins.
By collecting food waste, we’ll be able to recycle the valuable nutrients in food products through various composting methods to create nutrient-dense compost or generate renewable energy and transit fuels.
Be sure to keep an eye out this semester for more information about this program and how you can do your part.
For more information contact Roxane Beigel-Coryell at roxane.bc@csuci.edu.