ZERO WASTE & COMPOSTING 101 WORKSHOP/DISCUSSION Frequently asked questions and answers
Food scrap program? What does that mean? Food scraps and other compostable items are source separated and hauled away in a cart or dumpster, like trash and recycling service. The Peninsula landfill s latest waste audit revealed roughly 45 percent of waste was food scraps and other organics. Diverting food scraps saves landfill space, and uses these organics for compost and renewable energy (at MRWMD). Recycling jobs also boost employment.
Where should I start/how do I sign up? Start by contacting Monterey Disposal (MCDS) if located in the City of Monterey (831-372-7977, ask for Tom or Brenda) and Waste Management (WM) (831-384-5000 or Angie: amendoni@wm.com or 831-796-2265) if located in Monterey County outside of Salinas. Both will provide signage and pickup of 64- gallon carts or 2-yard dumpsters. For Salinas, contact Republic Services, Christina Victorine at 831-751-5443. www.wm.com www.montereydisposal.com www.republicservicessalinas.com
Where do I purchase compostable products, such as food ware and biodegradable liners? Below is a sample list of companies and their websites. More information, including price comparisons, is available through the TOP resource portal. This list is primarily intended for special events. BioTuf compostable bags (biotuf.com) VegWare (vegware.us/products/bagasse.html) BPI (bestpracticeinstitute.org) Eco Products (ecoproductsstore.com) Passion Purveyors (shop.passionpurveyors.com) World Centric (worldcentric.org)
Where do the scraps go and how are they used? The Monterey Peninsula food scraps are sent to the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD) in Marina. The food scraps are then placed in an anaerobic digester where methane is harvested and turned into electricity. The final digestate is then full composted by Keith Day Company. Salinas scraps go to Converted Organics in Gonzales to produce liquid fertilizer. Check out the video on the City of Monterey website!
A food scrap load from Whole Foods is received at the MRWMD compost site.
Note the plastic contamination in composting windrows. This is why it is so important to carefully source separate materials.
The new MRWMD anaerobic digester modules can process 5,000 tons per year of organics and produce 100 kw enough to power approximately120 homes annually.
What are the most common types of contamination? What is acceptable? NO Plastic straws Wire ties Latex gloves Plastic wrap Foil (recyclable) Plastic bottle caps and cups (recyclable) Soups/liquids YES All food including meat, bones, shells, dairy and grains Certified compostable wood stir sticks Coffee grounds and filters Napkins and certified compostable products (except in Salinas!)
Where do I place food scrap bins to capture quantity and ensure quality? Try placing bins or carts near coffee stations, food prep areas, plate scraping areas near the dish stations, near fruit/veggie prep areas in the bar, and generally next to one trash and one recycling bin. Use black bags for trash, clear for recycle and compostable, or no bag for food scraps. MCDS requires using a bio bag for food. Label all bins and carts or containers. Events: Place staffed zero-waste stations in main eating areas. Remove other trash stations.
How do I divert bulky materials? E-waste: Hope Services, MRWMD or Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority (SVSWA) Carpet/Furniture: Habitat for Humanity, MRWMD or SVSWA Rope: Habitat for Humanity or MRWMD Fence mesh: Habitat for Humanity Leftover food: Food banks or churches (Dorothy s Kitchen). Remember to call ahead and see what is accepted. Clothing: Last Chance Mercantile, SVSWA Paint: MRWMD or SVSWA Batteries, CFLs: MRWMD or SVSWA Check out Earth911.com for more producer take-back solutions
How do I motivate staff? Conduct monthly staff trainings. Remind staff that its efforts are making an ecological difference. Empathize with busy cooks and servers. Shift bins to more convenient locations. Lead by example through live waste audits and sorting. For events: Try to hire the same vendors to enforce compliance and give them a list of acceptable products in advance; use environmental student volunteer groups. Schedule a tour with the Monterey Regional Waste Management District, so that staff can see the end product and why their work matters.
Bernardus Lodge regularly trains staff to spot food scrap contamination, especially before it is picked up by Waste Management. We suggest designating a daily spot checker to capture any final contamination.
What do I use for food scrap bins? Use any container labeled with a compost sticker. Green bins are preferable for color coding. Slim Jims are popular for tight kitchen spaces. Compost bins should be paired with or hooked to a small trash can so that staff can easily capture contamination. Where can I purchase food scrap bins? Green slim jims and event boxes can be purchased from companies such as Recycle Away and ULINE for about $40 per Slim Jim or $25 per box.
Where do I find informational signage to hang up and cheat sheets for staff? Signage is available from your waste hauler as well as through the TOP resource portal. Should I use certified compostable liners? Pros: Aid in keeping bins clean and smells down. Cons: Costly, break easily, must change out frequently. Bags are required through the MCDS program.
How are food scrap bins and dumpsters cleaned? Waste Management customers can call to request to swap out a dirty bin or dumpster with a clean one. In the future there will be a system for on-site cleaning. Republic cleans containers in its wash bay by request. MCDS will announce cleaning options soon. Clean your own bins daily onsite but be sure to capture runoff.
How do I make room for food scrap carts and containers? Try changing your service eliminate some trash capacity as you add food scrap capacity. Have your hauler look at your loading dock to figure out a solution. Take a tour of an existing business program, its inside setup and its outside loading dock setup.
How do I prevent critters from getting into my food scrap dumpster? Maggots may become a problem in hot weather. Generally, in cool weather food scrap dumpsters or carts should be emptied at least once per week. In warmer areas and seasons, they should be emptied up to three times per week. MCDS picks up on Tuesday and WM and Republic pick up M, W, F. MCDS may increase pickup days. All carts and dumpsters should be sealed against raccoons and other animals. Call your hauler for suggestions. Separate containers so that animals do not use one container as a stepping stool into another.
How much will a food scrap container and service cost me? Joining the program may cost more at the outset until you lower your trash volume as a result. Also try increasing your recycling volume. Rates could decrease as more customers join the program. MCDS 64-gallon carts are about $50 per week per cart, decreasing as the number of carts increases. 2- yard dumpsters are $230.95 per month; compactors range between $24-$27/cubic yard. Contact Waste Management and Republic directly for detailed rates. Revenue from the sale of compost and renewable energy helps lower the operational expense of food scrap processing and keep the per ton food scrap disposal fee lower than the per ton waste disposal fee.
How do I make food scrap diversion valuable to my business? Post information on your website. Announce the program in newsletters and press releases. Advertise on vendor booths or on the bottom of your menu. Use small table cards (Customers feel good about dining at a business or event that uses its pre- and post-consumer waste as a product and avoids environmental and human health impacts where possible.) Food scrap diversion helps you get a leg up on state diversion requirements and goals: AB 341 and 939.
How do I track my waste diversion progress? Each month, calculate total waste as well as total waste diverted. Divide total diverted waste by total waste. Example: 485 pounds recycling, trash and food scraps in May. 200 pounds of recycling and compost in May. 200lbs/485lbs = 41.2% diversion. Also consider calculating annual costs pre- and post-food scrap program. For CO2 avoided, 1 pound of pure food scraps = about 4 pounds of CO2 avoided. Rough estimates for material streams: Food scraps: up to 230 lbs per 64-gallon cart; up to 1,000 lbs per yard. Recycling and Trash: Please check the resource portal soon (http:// www.theoffsetproject.org/apps/auth/login?try=1&next=) for a matrix estimating trash and recycling weights based on yards and cart sizes.