Embedded Files
Our Scraps to Soil program puts food composting bins in businesses, homes, and schools. Then its transported to composting areas and farms, avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in landfills while saving money, energy, and helping solve the soil nutrient crisis.
Our Scraps to Soil program puts food composting bins in businesses, homes, and schools. Then its transported to composting areas and farms, avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in landfills while saving money, energy, and helping solve the soil nutrient crisis.
Simply put, your unwanted food scraps in bins provided by the P.H.S. Environmental Club. We transport those food scraps to Auburn area farmers. They feed livestock or compost the scraps. We also transport some of your food scraps directly to composting plants in the Auburn area. Composting your food scraps turns them into nutrient-rich soil. That soil is then used in farming, producing higher crop yield and eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.
Simply put, your unwanted food scraps in bins provided by the P.H.S. Environmental Club. We transport those food scraps to Auburn area farmers. They feed livestock or compost the scraps. We also transport some of your food scraps directly to composting plants in the Auburn area. Composting your food scraps turns them into nutrient-rich soil. That soil is then used in farming, producing higher crop yield and eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.
Why is this important?
Why is this important?
Food waste is really bad for the environment. It takes a landmass larger than China to grow the food each year that is ultimately never eaten – land that has been deforested, species that have been driven to extinction, indigenous populations that have been moved, soil that has been degraded – all to produce food that we then just throw away. In addition, food that is never eaten accounts for 25% of all freshwater consumption globally. When food scraps end up in the landfill, it decomposes without being exposed to oxygen. This creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is about 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. At least 6% of all the greenhouse gas emissions come from food waste. That may not seem like a lot but to put it in perspective, if food waste was a country it would be third in greenhouse gas emissions. If all emissions from food waste stopped, it would be equal to taking one out of every 4 cars off the road. California wastes about 6 million tons of food every year, roughly the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza! Only 5% of food is composted in the U.S. and uneaten food is the largest component of principal solid waste. It's clear this is a massive problem and we need to do something!
What is composting?
What is composting?
In short, composting is a method of decomposing organic waste in an aerated environment. This means that all of your leftover scraps of food get turned in air and decompose until they turn into compost. The resulting compost can be mixed with soil to produce a soil medium that not only works better than chemical fertilizers but helps solve the soil nutrient crisis and prevent water pollution. Almost all food scraps can be composted, yet we still throw them out! In our Scraps to Soil Program, we take your food scraps and transport them to expert composters on farms and plants. When the compost has been made we take that nutrient-rich soil and redistribute it back into the community. This means we use some in our own garden, farmers use some to produce a higher crop yield to feed you, and you will even have a chance to use compost yourself!
How can I help?
How can I help?
Sign up to be a part of our program here! Once you sign up we will send you the complete outline of how your food scraps will turn into soil. We will also send you a free Scraps to Soil bin for you to put your scraps in! We take care of everything, you just put your scraps in the bin and feel good that you helped save our planet.
Recources
Recources
Want to do even more? Here are some resources explaining even more ways you can help reduce food waste. Enjoy!
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reduce-food-waste#TOC_TITLE_HDR_19
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-wasted-food-home
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327325
https://mashable.com/2015/02/15/food-waste-tips/
https://greatist.com/health/how-to-ways-reduce-food-waste
Report abuse