Food Waste Diversion Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

By adopting Resolution No. 683-06, the Board of County Commissioners, Franklin County, Ohio publicly stated its commitment to promote environmental protection and sustainability in policies and actions taken by the Board. The Food Waste Diversion Program in Franklin County was instituted to reduce the amount of food waste sent to the local landfill and disposed of into the municipal sewer system. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners and Public Facilities Management Agency have partnered with the food service management company, AVI Foodsystems; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; and, a local food waste diversion company, Eartha Limited. Food waste is collected from three Franklin County facilities, including two located downtown, and hauled to a local composting facility. The Program, which started on August 26, 2013, includes the diversion of food scraps and compostable containers/supplies from the large public dining operation in the Franklin County Office Tower; food preparation waste from the kitchen of the Franklin County Correctional Facility I where approximately 1,929 meals are prepared daily; and at Correctional Facility II where an average of 5,013 meals are prepared each day. We are very pleased with the outcomes to date of this project. Over 46,800 pounds or 23 tons of food waste and compostable materials have been diverted from the landfill since the Program’s inception—this is the equivalent of CO2 emissions generated by the consumption of 2,250 gallons of gasoline. In an effort to further enhance the sustainability aspect of the Food Waste Diversion Program, the composted material will be used to enrich the soil—beginning this Spring and moving forward—in the County’s Community Gardens and by our Landscaping division. It is our intention to continue to expand this program to other food preparation areas in Franklin County facilities.