Clarkson University and partner the Adirondack North Country Association鈥檚 (ANCA) Compost for Good (CfG) project are pleased to announce the launch of their 2nd series of Community Compost Liaison campaigns. Throughout the coming months, five community-based liaisons will work with a team of Clarkson students, Susan Powers, Director of Clarkson鈥檚 Institute for a Sustainable Environment, and CfG coordinator Jennifer Perry to offer a series of workshops, trainings, tabling events, 1:1 consultations, etc. to encourage their communities to adopt food waste reduction and recycling 聽strategies. In addition to the outreach campaigns, the liaisons and students will work with a total of 20 food waste generators to conduct food waste assessments, identifying opportunities to divert wasted food from landfills or other disposal options that do not recover the value of the food scraps. This year鈥檚 campaigns will be hosted in Akwesasne, Canton/Potsdam, Plattsburgh, and the Town of North Elba.
鈥淎ccording to the EPA each year, between 30-40% of the food stream in the U.S. is wasted, with most of it deposited in a landfill.鈥�, said Susan Powers. 鈥淭his also wastes all of the water, land, fertilizer and energy required to grow and process that food. We have a tremendous opportunity to reduce the impacts of food generation, while easing pressure on our landfills and converting that same material into a much needed soil health builder.鈥�
A recent waste characterization study by the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) determined that 21% of the waste stream consisted of wasted food. When buried, organic material such as food 鈥渨aste鈥� generates methane and contributes to water quality issues from run-off. The same material can be used to increase food access, offset farm costs, and to generate an incredibly rich soil amendment for depleted soils.
Lake Placid Pub and Brewery Director of Brewery Operations Kevin Litchfield was one of the early adopters in the Tri Lakes area and is signed up with a local food scrap hauler/compost business. 鈥淲e were hauling our brewery mash to the North Elba transfer station and knew we could do better. All of our spent grain and much of our wasted food are now turned back to compost which is then available for our local residents. We are also saving money at the transfer station. This was an easy decision that fit perfectly with our business鈥� values.鈥�