Waste360 Staff, Staff

June 15, 2016

1 Min Read
Calif. Food Bank Transforms Food Waste into Compost for Local Community Gardens

Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is gearing up its new high-tech composting machine to turn food waste into compost for local community gardens and farms.

Each year, the food bank receives more than 20 million pounds of food to distribute to those in need, but the food it receives is sometimes damaged, expired or can’t be distributed for a variety of other reasons. Before adding a composting machine to the mix, the food bank would send its food and packaging to the landfill, which cost approximately $25,000 in landfill fees annually.

KPBS Public Media has the scoop on this new effort:

Some community gardens and farms will soon be nourished by food waste from the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. The nonprofit has a new high-tech composting machine, and the city has just given them the green light to go green in a big way.

The Food Bank receives more than 20 million pounds of food each year to provide to those in need, but some donations come in damaged or expired and can’t be distributed. The food and its packaging used to end up in the garbage, costing $25,000 in annual landfill fees.

Now, with a zero landfill food waste goal and a new composting machine, the garbage is being transformed into garden food.

Read the full story here.

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