In honor of Earth Month and April 22 Earth Day, the Climate Change CARE Committee members are offering information and tips for all of us to care for our planet, aligned with our values of promoting health equity for children.
Did you know that food waste in US landfills is the 3rd largest source of methane, a greenhouse gas considered 80 times more potent over 20 years than CO2? Composting is nature's way of recycling and is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce trash in landfills, address climate change, and build healthy soil.
However, according to the EPA, only 5% of US food waste was composted in 2019. We are so lucky to work in a city that composts just about every food and paper product - even paper towels! We can all do our part to make it effective by reducing and sorting food waste and paper products in kitchens and restrooms.
See these great tips on reducing food waste from UW Sustainability, such as meal planning and grocery lists, checking "sell by" or "use by" dates (and knowing the difference), storing food effectively, and donating extra food. In other good news, Washington just passed HB 2301 to support our state's composting and waste management and reduce food waste going into the garbage.
Thanks for using those green compost bins whenever you have food or paper waste!