In 2009, San Francisco made recycling and composting a requirement for all businesses and residences. It passed the nation’s first mandatory composting law and, as a result of bold public policy and educational initiatives, the city diverts about 80 percent of its waste from landfills, or more than 1.5 million tons every year. Ultimately, San Francisco aims to reach zero waste. That means recycling, composting, reusing, and reducing consumption so that nothing goes to either the landfill or incineration. Standard residential services include a 64-gallon blue recycling bin, a 32-gallon green composting bin, and 16-gallon black trash bin. Image source: www.SFCrecycling.com (NGFP).
Plate 2 Plate Compost is all about food going from plate, to compost, to the veg patch and back to the plate. This initiative creates great compost from household food waste (vegetable peelings, waste meat, fish, dairy products and fruit), woodchip and coffee grounds. Turning this waste into peat free, 100% Soil Organic Matter, outstanding moisture retention, ph neutral, closed loop and sustainable. The project operates a weekly food waste collection service offered by postcode. The service costs £10 per month in return members get a 10L bucket and lid for food waste and 2 free 30L bags of compost per year. Image source: plate2platecompost.org.uk (NGFP).
The Urban Worm CIC is a social enterprise committed to raising the profile of worm farming as the ecological and economic solution for organic waste management and organic agriculture. They support schools, communities, businesses, farmers and families harnessing the power of the humble earthworm to build the foundations for food production to flourish, and for societies to thrive in the face of adversity. Image source: www.theurbanworm.co.uk (NGFP).
4. Closing the food loop
Our food system accounts for the biggest slice of the Planet’s ecological pie: 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It is the most damaging sector environmentally and also the most important to humans. To meet future food demands it is vital that we transform our local food system by growing more, wasting less and composting the waste we cannot eat. Closing the loop means that food waste itself is viewed as a resource, meant to be reintegrated, regenerated and reutilised. The simplest way to achieve this is through composting food waste - and organic garden waste - at an individual and community scale, which can be achieved through adequate design.
Food waste and organic waste is generally either incinerated or sent to landfill, releasing Methane, a very potent Greenhouse gas. Ideally, all food waste would be composted and used on the land to improve soil health, to retain moisture and to sequester Carbon. Improving the health of our soil is a global priority and it is something that everyone in the community can engage in. In Nottingham, community gardens and organisations such as Nottingham Organic Gardeners teach people how to compost. The Urban Worm CIC provides bins to make worm compost which is an easy to use system that produces high quality compost. By making facilities available for composting and ensuring local infrastructure is designed to distribute it, we can transform food waste into a valuable community resource, that enriches soil, reduces waste of water and recaptures valuable nutrients.
Design Criteria
4.1 When providing composting facilities: demonstrate that composting provision is adequate for the type and scale of development, that facilities for composting are accessible, easy to use, and with a waste collection access designed to a highway-adoptable standard.
4.2 When composting facilities cannot be provided: Create a platform or scheme to raise end users/public awareness regarding existing food networks in the area, for example indicating places or organisations that can use their surplus produce and/or their composting waste.