June 23, 2022

Zero Waste

Zero Waste

Aspirations

By Julie Pottier-Brown, Operations Manager
We are taking measures towards being zero waste. It is a lofty and possibly unlikely goal, but we are taking those measures because we feel it is the right thing to do. The ways we are successful are listed at the bottom of this article. A challenge that has come into focus recently is the waste that results from thin film plastic bags. Pre-COVID, the town and cities where we operate had banned plastic bags (with the exception of produce bags.) We used to ask members to bring their own. Then, in 2020, you-know-what hit, and our practices needed to change. No more hands in the bulk cut greens bag. We gloved up and pre-bagged whenever possible. Now that COVID guidelines have relaxed, we are able to revisit our practices. In our host communities, the exclusive use of paper bags seems to be back. We can once again remember that of the three “R”’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – the first two are the most important to focus on.

This year, we have bagged cut baby greens for the first two weeks. Melrose members, you are receiving those cut baby greens this week. After this week we are proposing a change. We ask that members bring their own produce bag or clamshell container to use. We are also investing in compostable produce bags in case you forget your own means of transport. The compostable bags are not *quite* the perfect answer. They do not store cut greens very well (yup, really.) They have a permeability that can make greens wilt. And, of course, they cost twice as much as plastic. So, we will ask you to think of these bags only as a means to transport greens and to chip in $.05 per bag. We prefer not to accept a huge collection of plastic bags at the depot locations. We are trying to keep plastic out of the FDC, and request that members help us.

So how have we succeeded in reducing/reusing/recycling?

  • We co-purchase reusable totes with Riverland Farm so there are enough to have in rotation between the farm and our sheds. This eliminates the need for waxed cardboard boxes.
  • We reuse produce boxes when appropriate. Clean tomato and peach boxes, outer flats from berry orders, wood bean crates, and giant melon bins are all able to be reused.
  • Flower buckets and waxed flower hampers are sent back each week for reuse.
  • For members who have their shares delivered, we use once-used liquor store boxes. These are destined for cardboard recycling. They are plentiful and cost-free. We make this choice out of environmental responsibility. We could have fancy branded boxes, but to have them manufactured for one single use seems extravagant and wasteful.
  • We buy recycled office paper. We haven’t yet tried to figure out how to manage the depot without paper, though we are talking about buying ipads for each location. Neither paper nor an ipad is right for a rainy day.
  • We collect bits of compost each depot day. Leaves of lettuce, the occasional stinker of a squash, etc. Eventually, the compostable bag you purchase will find its permanent place on the compost heap too.*
  • Also, take a look at the additional items we ask you to return below!
Thanks for helping us move towards a zero-waste outcome.

Thank you for supporting local!
Julie Pottier-Brown

* Do you have a way to compost? Curbside, or in your community? If FDC had a compost bin at pick up, would you use it?

Author:
Filed Under: Administrative