I was on the radio today – a 30 minute show called “Waste Matters” hosted by Marion County Public works. I was on with a co-worker, Rob, and we talked about Marion Polk Food Share’s mission and how we work it while paying mind to the greenest practices we can and minimize waste. I learned there are different tiers to waste –

I work at the top of this pyramid- to prevent and minimize. We take our meal counts really seriously and strive to have as few meals left over at distribution as possible. Food waste doesn’t go into the dumpster, it gets fed to pigs thanks to a farmer who’s willing to come pick up the scraps. Finally – energy recovery… our plastic trays (which used to be recyclable but not anymore) are being switched to fiber based ones that will compost rather than fill up a land fill. We use tableware instead of paper plates – dishes, silverware and glasses are washed and ready for next use.

I was honored to be on the show – I’ve never viewed my work much through the lens of waste reduction and now I’m excited to see my work in a new way.

Here’s a link to the show – it will be available on Friday January 11th.

Mel on Waste Matters