City of Plattsburgh Food Waste Reduction Resident Survey

The United States wastes more food than any other country in the world. The average family of four wastes about $3,000 a year on food that goes uneaten.

Reducing food waste can benefit our environment by reducing the amount of methane gas produced by food that ends up in the landfill. Reducing food waste also extends the life of our landfill and saves you money on trash services (less food in your trash bags means it will weigh less and cost less to bring to the landfill).

Such a program would focus on education to prevent food waste and steps you could take to recycle food waste that does occur.

The food scrap collection site bins would be placed in our area and a schedule for regular pick-up would be created to reduce the risk of wildlife disturbing the bin. The collection site bins will also be stored in combination-locked storage containers. Design would be such to further prevent wildlife disturbances, reduce odor, and prevent contamination.

Food scrap collection bins may be housed in small outdoor storage sheds, and may be lined with sawdust or hay to further reduce odor and animal disturbances.

The food scraps collected in these bins would be hauled to a local composting site (River Valley Regeneratives in Redford or Casella Waste Systems in Schuyler Falls).

Definitions:

Food scraps are discarded foods that are best suited for recycling, such as by feeding animals or by composting. Food scraps are ideally inedible and non-donatable foods that humans would not eat.

Food waste is uneaten food and inedible parts (not packaging) that end up in the landfill, incinerated, dumped down the sink drain, spread onto land, composting, or used for animal feed.