Organics
Updated: Sep 6, 2022
Have an excess food donation policy or program
Examples:
Create an office policy to donate excess food at the end of each month to a local food pantry.
Have a process for employees to safely take excess food home at the end of the day
For more information about how to start a food waste diversion program visit the Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative and the USDA’s Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions.
Tip:
Find out what food is safe for donation in Hamilton County here.
Track food waste or have employees participate in a wasted food reduction challenge
Examples:
A food waste tracking program for individuals: I Value Food’s Too Good To Waste Challenge
For high volume kitchens, consider using smart scales like the ones provided through the Greater Cincinnati Smart Kitchen Initiative
Provide access to compost opportunities
Examples:
Set up an onsite compost site where select scrap food can be composted.
It's important to ensure the correct material is collected and to have an onsite application for the created compost.
If you would like to compost onsite, it's highly recommended to reach out to Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District to evaluate the feasibility.
Have a composting service in place to collect and transport food waste.
Communicate waste diversion successes and metrics to employees
Provide employees with regular updates about waste initiatives and progress.
Examples:
Post progress towards waste goals on bulletin boards, signage above bins, posting tips in staff spaces, including regular sustainability reminders in staff meetings or newsletters, or posting updates on the company intranet channel.
Benefit:
Regular updates helps to keep waste efforts at the forefront of employees’ minds and ties employees’ effort to actual results.