The article, titled “NYS Senator Biaggi & Lehman College Announce $340K in Capital Funding For Composting Education Center”, published on February 20, 2020 here, shows the importance of composting centers working collaboratively with food businesses within legislation INT 0253-2018 in efforts to help them divert their food scraps from the landfills.
Lehman will have “the opportunity to host workshops and events – hosting school groups and community groups and educating them on the composting process”.
It is important to understand that in New York, cutting down just 5% on commercial food waste, would mean that 120,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide would be saved from entering the atmosphere every year. Lehman started an initiative of adding a food scraps collection program in 2009 and has continuously added the food scraps from its cafeteria to the program; Lehman understands the pounds of compostable material that can be diverted from the municipal food waste stream.
Commercial businesses pay an estimated $730 million annually to remove their trash. Lehman needs to ensure that local businesses are also incorporated in the workshops and events dealing with food waste, because legislation INT 0253-2018 would allow businesses to be able to opt to compost their food scraps, spoiled food and donate their prepared foods to reduce civil penalties.
Hosting the educational workshops, centered on reducing food waste and composting, would encourage business owners to see the benefits, that could help reduce their expenses in paying private companies for waste removal, deter rodents and insects around their business premises, and reduce pollution.
It is important that Lehman works with local businesses to provide the resources on composting, which will ease the transition of diverting food waste from the landfill to a more sustainable system.
.
Karen Rojas
Lehman College Alumni
