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 Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
Donation of Surplus Food Now Required By CA State Law
Senate Bill (SB) 1383 is a sweeping California waste law that includes several requirements, including mandatory donation of surplus edible food by certain commercial food generators like supermarkets or large restaurants. Zero Waste Marin has been working on behalf of the County, cities, and towns of Marin to ensure that this edible food recovery program is successful and compliant with the law. Recovery of surplus edible food was written into the law because 30 - 40% of the food we produce is never eaten by anyone, and wasting food means wasting the emissions that result from harvesting, processing, transporting, and selling food. If food waste were a country, it would have the third-highest emissions in the world, after China and the United States (bbc.com). Help us tackle climate change by reducing food waste!
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Photo by Diliara Garifullina on Unsplash
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Plan Your Menu to Avoid Wasted Food!
When we waste food, we waste the water, energy, and resources that went into production, manufacturing, transport, and retail. Commit to reducing food waste by planning your Thanksgiving menu with an eye for finishing ingredients! Look for recipes that will allow you to use up all of the fresh or perishable ingredients. E.g., look for complimentary recipes that both use half a can of pumpkin to use up that ingredient!
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Give the Gift of Experiences!
According to Stanford University, Americans generate 25% more waste than usual between Thanksgiving and New Years’. While the holiday season is fun and festive, decorations, gifts, and dinners can generate a lot of waste. Some simple ways you can reduce waste?
- Prioritize using decorations you already own or buy “new” ones at a secondhand shop;
- Give the gift of experiences, such as a pottery class, restaurant gift card, or spa visit;
- Make sure to wrap gifts in truly recyclable paper (wrapping paper is not recyclable!) or in reusable bags you can use year after year.
For more ideas to reduce waste during the holidays, check out this article.
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Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash
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Photo by Lenka Dzurendova on Unsplash
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Don't Forget Your Compost Pail Over the Holidays!
For any food scraps you might have on Thanksgiving from preparation or plate scraps after the meal, ensure all of those scraps make it into your green compost bin! Composting food scraps helps us to fight climate change by keeping this waste out of landfill where it generates methane gas. Compost also improves soil health and even helps soil remove and store carbon from the atmosphere!
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Please share this newsletter with anyone you think would be interested in keeping up with our waste reduction efforts!
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