A new initiative with the University of Florida is taking shape as cities across the nation embrace composting as a sustainable solution to food waste. Mica McMillan, assistant professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, is partnering with the city of Deerfield Beach to spearhead a first-of-its-kind micro-composting initiative aimed at transforming urban food waste management.
This initiative introduces the public to ongoing, coordinated efforts to reduce food and landscape waste from entering the already-saturated landfills in South Florida and harnesses the potential to reuse organic waste. âSupported by a $400,000 grant awarded to Deerfield Beach from the U.S. Department of Agricultureâs (USDA) Composting and Food 91²Ö¿â Reduction program, this project is led by Hillary Silverstone, sustainability coordinator for the city, and represents a synergistic partnership between academic research, municipal leadership and private industry,â said McMillan.
With UF/IFAS as a key research and education partner, the city is embarking on a project that blends science-based waste diversion strategies, community education and real-world data collection. Partnering with Dustin DuBois, owner and operator of Filthy Organics, and Jairo Gonzalez, president of Organics Recycling Foundation, the initiative will create a fully operational micro-composting facility on city-owned land. This facility will process organic waste within the city.
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Author: Lourdes Mederos, UF/IFAS Communications, WGCU