1. Food-Waste Composting Program
Staff Training, Nov/Dec 2018

2. Purpose and Responsibility
Operation Food Search plays a large part in diverting food waste from landfills by taking viable food from supermarkets and farms and offering it to communities in need.
Through participating in the Composting Program, OFS continues the cycle and returns nutrients to the soil that feeds us.
Epa.gov

3. Procedures Total Organics/St Louis Compost
Belleville location, a 110-acre facility on top of a closed landfill
Other customers include the Cardinals, St Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, Schnucks, and many local restaurants
Nutrition Education Compost Leader
Responsible for setup, maintenance, and organization
Provides training and support

4. Procedures: Acceptable Materials
Contamination can result in loss of compost & crops.
1) Physical Contamination
2) Chemical Contamination
What Stays Out:
No plastic
NO food packaging or coffee cups
No garbage bags
NO metal, rubber, or glass
NO Styrofoam

5. Procedures: Totes and Bins
Compost Bins
Sealed compost pail located under handwashing sink in commercial kitchen
Potential growth for second compost pail in break room
Total Organics Totes
Tote #1 located outside of warehouse next to Nutrition Ed pantry door
Tote #2 located inside walk in cooler, middle of south wall near Nutrition Ed shelves

6. Procedures: Pickup Compost Bin
Nutrition Ed Compost Leader disposes every work day
Compost Totes
Nutrition Ed Compost Leader will monitor use of bins and coordinate pickup through Total Organics Recycling every two weeks, or as necessary
Total Organics will dispatch truck within hours
Pick-up site is on north side of building

7. Procedures: Commercial Composting
Typical landfill, food takes 100+ years to break down. (newspaper example; 1967)
In commercial composting facility, food breaks down in 6-12 weeks, then reused as compost at local farms.
(taco method; 160 degrees F)

8. Potential Growth Break Room Composting Events
Develop plan, create buy-in, gather resources (signs, bins)
Larger-Scale
Single stream composting with Total Organics’ depackager

9. Questions?
(217)
OperationFoodSearch.org