ELEVATING SOLUTIONS TO FOOD RECOVERY AND COMPOSTING IN NEW HAVEN

The overarching goal of our project is to drive residential, commercial, and institutional solutions to wasted food in New Haven. Although the city has emphasized the importance of mitigating wasted food for several years, to facilitate widespread adoption of these solutions, direct support is needed. We have identified several objectives that will contribute to accomplishing this goal. These objectives include providing support to our local food rescue organization, Haven's Harvest, funding infrastructure for residential composting, and offering direct technical assistance to food businesses in the area.Our project aligns with the most-preferred food waste recovery activities outlined in the EPA's Food Recovery Hierarchy. By incorporating solutions across the hierarchy, we aim to maximize the effectiveness of our efforts in reducing food waste and promoting sustainable practices. This includes prioritizing source reduction, donation, and diversion strategies to minimize the environmental impact of wasted food. As a project partner, Haven's Harvest, will help participants (hotels and food businesses) donate and redistribute their surplus edible food. In addition, funding for the launch of a Bigbelly system for our apartment complexes will enable composting, and partnership with CET will ensure these entities receive the customized resources to ensure long-lasting success beyond the project period.Anticipated Impact on Executive Priorities:1. Tackling the Climate Crisis: Our project directly addresses the climate crisis by reducing food waste and its associated greenhouse gas emissions. By implementing effective food waste recovery strategies, we can significantly contribute to mitigating climate change. We also recognize that the environmental benefits of compost are not only from diverting food waste from disposal, which releases potent methane gases, but treating soil with compost also drives higher agricultural yields and increases carbon sequestration.2. Advancing Racial Equity: We are committed to promoting racial equity and environmental justice in our project. This includes active participation and involvement of historically underserved groups and communities, particularly those facing food insecurity. By redistributing surplus food to feed more hungry people, we aim to address food inequity and create a more equitable food system.3. Promoting Environmental Justice: New Haven, with its diverse demographics and underserved communities, faces unique challenges in food waste management. Our project focuses on providing solutions that benefit these communities, addressing their specific needs and promoting environmental justice. By investing in infrastructure for residential composting and supporting food businesses, we strive to create a more sustainable and equitable environment for all residents. The closure of MIRA in 2022 has highlighted the urgency to develop alternative and beneficial uses for food scraps, and our current trash (including food scraps) is sent for incineration in the neighboring community, Bridgeport. We recognize incineration emits harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide and pose risks to respiratory health and air quality. Our project aims to fill this gap by driving the establishment of necessary infrastructure that will allow for alternative, more beneficial solutions to be more cost-effective for our residents and businesses.Our project seeks to drive residential and commercial solutions to wasted food in New Haven, incorporating the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy. By supporting food rescue organizations, funding compost drop offs systems, and providing technical assistance to businesses and institutions, we will make significant strides in reducing food waste, addressing climate change, advancing racial equity, and promoting environmental justice in our community.Our plan includes the establishment of a composting drop-off program in 1-2 apartment complexes and 1-2 publicly accessible locations in the Town Green District (Objective 1). University Towers will likely be one of the participating housing complexes, given the expressed interest in this cooperatively managed building. We will deploy 3-4 Bigbelly units near these multi-family housing locations to facilitate convenient composting. Bigbelly are smart, solar-powered, sensor-equipped waste & recycling stations that communicate real-time status to streamline waste management operations.In addition to residential composting, we will focus on fostering solutions to wasted food at hotels and food businesses in New Haven. With the expertise of the Center for EcoTechnology (CET), we will provide technical assistance, outreach, and education to help businesses and institutions identify and implement strategies aligned with the Food Recovery Hierarchy. Specifically, we will assist 1-2 hotels (Objective 2) and 3-5 restaurants (Objective 3).Schools are also an important steppingstone for widespread behavior changes. Although challenges such as limited infrastructure, lack of standardized guidelines, and logistical barriers exist, addressing these challenges and fostering implementation is crucial for creating a more sustainable future. To mediate these challenges, CET will provide the technical assistance described above for 4 K-12 New Haven Schools (Objective 4).Participants, including apartments, hotels, K-12 schools, and food businesses, will be recognized for their implemented measures. This recognition from New Haven stakeholders will help establish a culture and norm for composting in the downtown area and the school system, and inspire continued interest and capacity building in mitigating wasted food.(Objective 5)