With the help of the Food Recovery Network, students have been fighting food waste and hunger by donating food from college campuses to food rescue organizations. Nine colleges in Massachusettes have Food Recovery Network chapters. The newest additions in the state are Olin College of Engineering in Needham and Gordon College in Wehnam. Students can apply on the…
Wicked Local Cambridge reports that Lesley University received a 2015 Food Recovery Challenge Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The award, a “Regional Food Recovery Achievement Certificate”, recognizes Lesley University as a leader in food waste diversion. Lesley partners with the food rescue organization, Food For Free, to donate surplus food to those…
The Intercontinental Hotel in Boston has a range of green initiatives that include everything from an extensive recycling program to a rooftop apiary. Recently, the hotel changed over 550 reading lamps in their guestrooms and contacted the RecyclingWorks hotline for advice on what to do with the old fixtures. RecyclingWorks connected the Intercontinental Hotel with…
Clark University recently received two awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizing their outstanding waste reduction initiatives. Clark was the only awardee to receive awards for both the Food Recovery Challenge and WasteWise programs in the same year. The EPA awarded Clark with Honorable Mentions in the Narrative Categories for the Food Recovery…
Biocycle Magazine published a forecast for food waste trends in 2016 written by Andrew Shakman of LeanPath. Last year the conversation about wasted food moved into the mainstream with top chefs and the media covering food waste topics. In a significant milestone, the USDA and EPA announced the goal of reducing food waste in the…
The Falmouth Enterprise reported on the Barnstable County Food Waste Subcommittee’s efforts to increase food waste composting on the Cape. The committee, formed in response to the Commercial Organics Waste Ban which took effect in October of 2014, is trying to increase the number of compost sites that accept food waste. Currently, there are two…
The EPA is currently accepting nominations for the 2015 Environmental Merit Awards in New England. Award categories for environmental achievement in the last year include individuals, businesses, government entities, and other organizations. There is also an award for lifetime achievement. Nominations must be submitted online by February 12, 2016. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts is a recycling…
The MassDEP posted an updated Organics Study and Action Plan in January 2016 which replaces an earlier version posted in January 2014. This plan outlines the programs and initiatives underway to support the goal of reducing food waste disposal in Massachusetts by 35% by 2020. The recent version of the plan includes new initiatives and…
For participants in the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) and WasteWise programs, annual 2015 data and 2016 goals are due March 31, 2016. Participants in either program must submit their 2015 data and 2016 goals in order to stay active and maintain eligibility to receive awards. Enter data and goals by accessing your account on…
The Massachusetts Surplus Property Program helps connect extra equipment, materials, and supplies to entities that can put them to use. State departments periodically declare surplus property which is offered first to other state entities free of charge. After 30 days, any property that has not been claimed is offered to cities and towns for a…