FOOD RESCUE. ASTSWMO MID âYEAR MEETING APRIL 2016. Cathy Jamieson, Solid Waste Program Manager. VT ANR Waste Managemen
VERMONT’S UNIVERSAL RECYCLING LAW AND FOOD RESCUE ASTSWMO MID –YEAR MEETING APRIL 2016
Cathy Jamieson, Solid Waste Program Manager VT ANR Waste Management & Prevention Division
Moving from “waste”
Materials Management
2012 – BIG year for Vermont Universal Recycling (Act 148) passes unanimously Hey, you can compost that!
That’s recyclable !
VT Universal Recycling Law Passed 2012
Required Diversion (bans) = Motivation recyclables leaf,
yard, and clean wood food scraps
Parallel Collection = Convenience
Pay As You Throw = Incentive
Recycling in Public Spaces = Lead by Example
Food Scraps: Phased Approach
Phases for larger food scrap generators, if there is a
facility within 20 miles 2014
> 104 tons/year 2 tons/wk
2015 >
52 tons/year 1 ton/wk
2016
> 26 tons/year 1/2 ton/wk
2017
> 18 tons/year 1/3 ton/wk
2020
all food scraps banned regardless of distance
Universal Recycling Food Hierarchy
Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (1996) – helps protect food donors from liability associated with donated food.
Food Rescue in Vermont
Policy/ Law driver of change and incentives
Partnerships / Synergy VT FoodBank Gleaning Farm to Plate
VT Food Bank
Distributes ~10 million pounds of food/year 225 food shelves
Food Sources Donations Gleaning Purchases Farms
Food Bank & Food Rescue & UR
CHANGE in 2014 with Large Grocery Stores Fresh Produce not sold, deliver directly to food shelves
Used UR law as an incentive to do it
Only 9 months since 7/15 UR milestone, nearly doubled donations from RPAs (due to law) 7/14 to 7/15 (12 mo) 828,984 lbs 7/15 to 4/16 (9mo) 1,605,570 lbs
Food Bank picture, etc.
Photo by Bryn
Gleaning in VT
Gleaning
Salvation Farms
Network of farms
STUDY -- to quantify amount of food that could be gleaned and redistributed in VT
VT Farm to Plate Network
VT Sustainable Job Fund developed 10 year strategic plan, with purpose to increase
economic development in Vermont’s farm and food sector; create jobs in the farm and food economy; improve access to healthy local food for all Vermonters.
25 goals
Multiple committees and partnerships
Some of What We’ve Done
Workshops Meetings Industry Outreach Site Visits Letters & Phone Calls Outreach Materials Partnerships & Collaboration
Materials Management Map
20-mile radius tool
Universal Recycling is Working
All VT towns adopted Pay-as-You-Throw Trash (MSW) disposal decreased 4% Recycling rates are up Businesses and consumers pay attention to wasted food VT
Food Bank: increase in food donations,
BIG increase from supermarkets, food retailers Collection of food scraps is up
CHALLENGES
Lack of Funding Capacity Limits, especially Refrigeration Rural State / Economies of Scale
OPPORTUNTIES More Attention Than Ever Partnerships, Connections, Leverage
Stay Tuned! Website -- www.recycle.vermont.gov
[email protected] 802.522.5938 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @VTrecycles
