How two Tempe restaurants are using the food left on your plate to grow fresh ingredients
Food waste is a complex problem that shows up everywhere in the United States, with about 40% of food grown ending up in the landfill. Arizona unfortunately has the highest rate of food waste in the U.S., according to a study from LawnStarter.com. The City of Tempe estimates 25% of trash taken to their landfill is some type of organic waste.
Tempe restaurants Cocina Chiwas and Chen’s Noodle House are turning food waste into farmland through the Tempe Composting Program, designed by Local First Arizona, the composting company R. City and the City of Tempe. The program seeks to create a circular economy, where waste materials are used to regenerate new materials.
In the case of Cocina Chiwas and Chen’s Noodle House, food scraps go into a compost barrel instead of a dumpster. The barrels are picked up by R. City, which transports it to their farm in South Phoenix and turns the food scraps into compost. The compost is added to the soil, regenerating it with nutrients vital to growing food. The fruits and vegetables grown on the farm are made available to the restaurants for purchase. The cycle then starts over, closing the loop.
The Tempe Composting Program is an example of circular economy, or using materials to make or grow new materials. In this case, food scraps are composted into soil which is used to grow more food.
1.5 tons of food waste saved from the landfill
What kind of an impact can a single restaurant make? In one month, Cocina Chiwas diverted nearly 3,000 pounds (or 1.5 tons) of food scraps, generating 900 pounds of compost to nurture nutritious crops without synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides that deteriorate the soil. Diverting food scraps from the landfill also prevents the creation of methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.
One month of compost saves 6 tanks of gas
The amount of food waste Cocina Chiwas turned into compost in one month is equivalent to 95 gallons of gasoline, or about six tanks in an average car, or 850 kilograms of carbon dioxide. By reducing pollutants, our state will be more livable for the future, our water sources will be cleaner and our food will be healthier. The restaurants participating in the Tempe Composting Program are making a big difference for our world.
Cocina Chiwas proudly involves the entire staff in their composting efforts.
Are you a Tempe restaurant interested in joining the Tempe Composting Program? Email Nick Shivka, Local First Arizona Senior Manager of Sustainability Initiatives, at nick@localfirstaz.com
