The District of Columbia has over 700,000 residents and an average of 414 tons of food waste that would be sent to landfills, per year, if not for a refuse disposal option. The city recently passed a law that tackles the many ways in which schools, businesses and organizations can combat food waste in the district. This includes purchasing wisely,…
Summer, summer, summertime! The sun is out, the birds are chirping, the days are longer and your organic scraps are getting…warmer. Don’t worry, we have a few tips to help keep your bins clean, reduce odors and keep unwanted guests away throughout the season. While we do the dirty work of picking up, sifting through and composting your food scraps,…
In 2021, the state of Maryland passed a bill requiring schools, businesses and organizations that generate at least two tons of food residuals per week to separate the food waste from other solid waste. Maryland generates an average 900,000 tons of food waste per year. This law aims to divert a good portion of that food waste from final disposal…
Trends come and go and kids outgrow their clothes at the blink of an eye. This surplus of unwanted articles of clothing can make it difficult to know how to dispose of these items properly, especially when affordable clothing tends to be made of synthetic materials. What’s the difference between synthetic fibers and natural fibers? Natural fibers are derived from…
While some of us find it daunting to put together a meal for a small group, Chef Tony Hull doesn’t flinch at having hundreds of guests for a single meal. As the Executive Chef of the JW Marriott in Washington, DC, his events can include upwards of 1,000 people for lunch or dinner. By his estimates, the hotel’s kitchen staff…
by Dan Israel, SVP of Growth Plastic recycling has been in the news recently, and it’s not positive coverage. Although recycling bins are present in the majority of homes across the country, research from the groups Beyond Plastics and the Last Beach Cleanup estimate that Americans recycled just six percent of their plastics in 2021, which is a drop from…
Compostable plastics are a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing single-use plastics, but choosing the “right” compostable plastic when you’re at a restaurant or in the grocery store can be overwhelming. How to shop for compostable plastic Because products are being marketed as sustainable using several buzzwords, it can be difficult to understand exactly what you’re…
Welcome back to our sustainable chef series, where we’re connecting with local chefs to spotlight their ingenuity and creativity as they work to reduce waste in the kitchen. In previous installments we featured Rob Rubba from Oyster Oyster and Liv and Zach from Toki Underground. Due to the scale of food waste produced by restaurants, chefs have the power to…
Compost Crew and Neighborhood Sun are teaming up to help our Maryland and District of Columbia customers take the next step in helping our planet. As the leaders of these two local businesses with a focus on helping people lead more sustainable lives, we often get asked, “what else can we do to make a difference?” There’s no single answer…
Welcome back to our sustainable chef series, where we’re connecting with local chefs to spotlight their ingenuity and creativity as they work to reduce waste in the kitchen. In our first installment, we featured Rob Rubba from Oyster Oyster. Food waste is a big issue on both a local and international scale, and a push toward food waste reduction in…