Food Waste Reduction Pilot Project. Objective C Supplement to the Tacoma-Pierce County Solid Waste Management Plan

Transcription

1 Food Waste Reduction Pilot Project Objective C Supplement to the Tacoma-Pierce County Solid Waste Management Plan

2 Community Based Social Marketing How can we encourage sustainable behavior? Behavior change campaigns delivered at the community level that seek to remove barriers and enhance benefits.

3 Research Behavior Impact Lbs./Household/Year Probability (0 to 4) Penetration Weight Buy groceries with a list based on a meal plan 352 (66%) 4 20% Prepare and eat older food first 352 (66%) 2 18% Buy perishable food in quantities that can be eaten before spoilage Cook and eat meals prepared at home Prepare and eat locally grown produce Use FoodKeeper app to determine food safety Store fruits and vegetables for maximum freshness 352 (66%) 1 27% (15%) 3 32% (20%) 2 32% (20%) 1 64% (66%) 3 5% 52.8 Notes 195,000 single family households (SFR) in Pierce County s solid waste system 400,000 tons trash disposed (2015) 13% edible food in waste stream (SFR) 52,000 tons of edible food in waste stream (SFR) 533 lbs./sfr household/year

4 Pilot Area Sumner Demographics similar to Pierce County as a whole On automated service already (not part of 2017 updates) City council were early supporters of the objectives in our 2016 Supplement Food Waste Pilot Area Groups Group 1 PROGRAM (stops ) Group 2 INFO (stops ) Group 3 CONTROL (stops )

5 Baseline Sort

6 Program Plan your meals and shop with a list Barriers I don t know what I want to eat Busy schedule I ve never developed the habit It takes too much time I don t know how to plan meals Benefits Saves money Saves time Feeling of satisfaction Use up what s on hand Make healthier choices I don t know how to cook Forgot my list

7 Program Info-only group received brochure Program group received brochure + meal planning notepad

8 Barriers and Benefits ANYONE CAN BECOME A MEAL PLANNER Try some of these strategies for common meal planning How do issues. you decide No expert what s organizational for dinner? skills required! I m too busy My plans change If finding time to shop is difficult, consider ordering groceries or meal kits online and having them delivered to your home (but see our note about meal kits below). An unpredictable schedule can make it hard to plan. Start with just one or two meals a week. That way, ingredients won t go uneaten and spoil in your refrigerator. I don t like leftovers I m cooking for one KEEP US POSTED What do you struggle with? I don t like to cook I don t know how to cook Do you have favorite magazines, recipe books, websites or apps to recommend? Leftovers are great for lunch Not everyone enjoys being in Please share your ideas with us: the next day, but not everyone the kitchen. The trick is getting likes them, and some recipes piercecountywa.org/whatsfordinner in and out as quickly as make too much for just one possible! person. Many online recipes pcrecycle@co.pierce.wa.us Look for recipes that can be and meal planning apps allow made in 30 minutes or less and you to adjust the number rely on just a few ingredients. servings. A lot of edible food wasted is You can also try making from forgotten takeout and that mix and match with doggie bags. Keep those different ingredients. A roasted containers front and center in chicken can be used in tacos your refrigerator so you ll or soup later. remember to eat them. I never know what I want to eat If planning specific meals ahead of time just isn t your thing, it may help to WASTED keep your kitchen FOOD stocked with things you can use to Leftover put together Night different meals. Keep A great cans way of beans to clean and out your tomatoes fridge. and You pasta don t and have grains to just in your reheat pantry. last night s Freeze meat meal. to Use keep leftover it until rice you are and ready pasta to in a soup use or it, stir and fry, stock add your vegetables and refrigerator meat an with omelette. versatile There fresh are ingredients endless possibilities. like lemons, limes, garlic, ginger and parsley. MORE WAYS TO PREVENT Resist the urge to buy more produce than you need Throwing away produce wastes the money you spent on it, but it also wastes natural resources like the water and oil used to grow it and get it to the market. Be realistic about how much you Meal kits can help you learn to cook and take the hassle out of shopping. Just be aware that the ingredients are can usually actually packaged eat before in it spoils. plastic bags, wrap and containers that are not accepted in our curbside recycling program. See piercecountywa.org/recycle for details. BENEFITS OF MEAL PLANNING Save money You ll use up what you have and won t overbuy at the grocery store. Cook once, eat twice Leftovers equal tomorrow s lunch. Healthier choices You ll make fewer unhealthy impulse purchases. Less stress Make a busy schedule less hectic because you already know what s for dinner. E th b u Y a T a A w

9 Results Garbage Edible Food 12% Edible food Pierce County average (2015) 3000 Program Group 4.2 lbs/household 3000 Info Group 3000 Control Group 3 lbs/household % of garbage (average) lbs/household lbs/household 2.6 lbs/household % of garbage (average) % of garbage (average) 1.4 lbs/household Aug 15 Oct 24 0 Aug 15 Oct 24 0 Aug 15 Oct 24

10 NRDC Report 76% believe they throw away less food than the average 58% feel less guilty about wasting food if it is composted American

11 Next Steps More efficient sorting Incentives Partnerships EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy Most preferred Source Reduction Reduce the amount of food waste being generated Feed Hungry People Donate extra food to food banks, soup kitchens and shelters Feed Animals Divert food scraps to animal feed Industrial Uses Anaerobically digest food scraps for energy or fuel production Composting Create a nutrient-rich soil amendment Incineration or Landfill Last resort to disposal Least preferred