Title
Presentation by Thurston County Solid Waste Regarding its Waste Less Food Campaign
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive information and recognize the campaign.
Report
Issue:
Thurston County's will be promoting the WasteLessFood Campaign to City employees and Olympia residents.
Staff Contact:
Spencer Orman, Senior Program Specialist, Public Works Waste ReSources, 360.753.8752
Presenter(s):
Terri Thomas, Education and Outreach Supervisor, Thurston County Solid Waste
Background and Analysis:
In 2006, City Council adopted a Zero Waste Resolution establishing a vision for the City and new direction for Waste ReSources. Thurston County's WasteLessFood program furthers our efforts to achieve this resolution by working on preventing waste before it is made.
Thurston County Solid Waste started a WasteLessFood residential outreach program, encouraging residents to take the WasteLessFood Challenge and reduce excess discarded food in their households. The program provides tools and highlights the negative social, environmental, and financial impacts of wasted food.
Thurston County Solid Waste is promoting their program to the public with presentations, their website and Facebook page, and media outlets that include television commercials and bus board signs.
The program helps Waste ReSources meet its mission "to lead and inspire our community toward a waste-free future" by offering new opportunities and tangible incentives for residents to reduce their waste. Participating residents benefit by having less overall household waste, saving money, making a positive environmental impact, and potentially winning prizes provided by the sponsor.
By focusing on preventing waste, the WasteLessFood program follows the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) food recovery hierarchy by putting the highest emphasis on source reduction.
Neighborhood/Community ...
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