The Gonzales, Calif., school system just announced that it will convert its food waste to fertilizer, thanks to a company called Converted Organics.
This effort comes on the heels of Converted Organics’ July 1 start to process food waste at its Woodbridge, N.J. facility. Here, the company’s enclosed aerobic composting technology has a more specific target–school food waste.
Anyone who’s made it through first grade won’t have a tough time imagining the barrels full of wasted food. Especially those who suffered the curiosities of school lunch in their day or at least have heard the Adam Sandler song.
Schools certainly produce a lot of food waste (studies have found that between 10 to 37 percent of school lunches are wasted, according to this USDA Report). That’s why I applaud this effort on all levels except one: There’s no mention of separating the edible from inedible excess. I’d like to see a food recovery group rescue this usable food.
I can hear you now: ‘Is that food really worth saving?’ Given that Gonzales is less than 20 miles from Salinas, the produce capital of California and possibly the nation, I’m hoping that its school lunch is of a higher quality than what I was served (although I did love turkey stew day).
Maybe they can make food recovery part of the routine, as the in-vessel composting won’t start until mid-August. A guy can dream, right?
4 Comments
Hey avid Wasted Food readers!
Check out this article from yesterday’s USA Today about food banks beginning gleaning projects! I’m the volunteer coordinator at a food bank in Indiana and we’ve just started a gleaning project here to work with local farmers and obtain their excess produce. Just another way to not waste food and get perfectly good (slightly blemished) produce to individuals that need it!
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2008-07-21-farmfood_N.htm
well if that picture is anything to go by, I d be dumping my lunch too. Not too sure the fertiliser made from such ‘food’ would be useful either??
Fair point, Kel. In addition to cutting school lunch waste, we need to improve the quality of the food served. Oh wait…the two just might be linked!
Not sure about its usefulness in being converted to fertilizer, but that hot dog would be a great feedstock for anaerobic digestion (to create energy).
As someone who used to manage a school cafeteria, I love this program, but from reading the company information, will the food have to be separated from the paper products?