Love Food Not Waste (LFNW) turned one year old this month and students at the Village School hosted a great birthday celebration. The Village School is a LFNW participant and prides itself on keeping food scraps full circle by composting on-site, sending material for commercial composting, and using compost to grow vegetables that are served in the cafeteria. In a great combo, the LFNW birthday celebration was held on America Recycles Day, November 15th. Rexius donated seven yards of finished LFNW compost for the Village School Garden and following the delivery, students celebrated with a ceremonial (but edible) compost cake. Additionally, community partners provided a variety of recycling, reuse, and compost education tables for students while 8th graders hauled the donated compost into the school garden. Event partners included Rexius Sustainable Solutions, The School Garden Project, Partners for Sustainable Schools, M.E.C.C.A., BRING, Lane County Waste Management, OSU Compost Specialists, and Sanipac
In the last year, Eugene businesses diverted over 1,000 tons of food waste from the landfill – roughly equivalent to 100 garbage truck loads. Currently, 95 local businesses participate in the program. LFNW allows participants to reduce waste by sending food scraps (meat, dairy, fruit and veggie scraps, and bakery items) as well as plant trimmings, food-soiled paper, and waxed cardboard to be composted. The City provides free training, assistance, and food waste bins to the businesses that sign up for the composting service with their garbage hauler.