1
00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:11,440
Speaker 1: From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England Weekend.

2
00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,320
Speaker 1: Each week we come together right here and talk about

3
00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,800
Speaker 1: all the topics important to you and the place where

4
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,560
Speaker 1: you live. Thanks for joining us again this week. I'm

5
00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,840
Speaker 1: Nicole Davis. Okay, you know we've all been there. I'm

6
00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:24,800
Speaker 1: not gonna judge. When you go to the store and

7
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,600
Speaker 1: you're walking around and you're doing your weekly shop and

8
00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,280
Speaker 1: you see all that's great fresh food, especially it seems

9
00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,240
Speaker 1: to me, you know, around the turn of the seasons,

10
00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,600
Speaker 1: and you think, I'm gonna make all this stuff at home,

11
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,279
Speaker 1: and I'm gonna cook and I'm gonna eat healthy. It's

12
00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,320
Speaker 1: gonna be great. And then two weeks later, you've gone

13
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,440
Speaker 1: out a bunch of times and ordered door dash a

14
00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:44,599
Speaker 1: few times, and you have a lot of dead produce

15
00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,239
Speaker 1: staring you in the face when you open up the fridge.

16
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,320
Speaker 1: When we get to throwing out that food that we

17
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,240
Speaker 1: just don't get to for whatever reason, you might compost

18
00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:53,960
Speaker 1: some of it, you might use some of it for

19
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,440
Speaker 1: your plants, but quite a bit of it actually goes

20
00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,400
Speaker 1: right to the landfill. You can imagine how much that

21
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,720
Speaker 1: actually adds up to when you think about not just

22
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,600
Speaker 1: you and me and our neighbors and whatnot. But also

23
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:09,480
Speaker 1: all the restaurants and hotels, cafeterias, nursing homes, supermarkets, we

24
00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,840
Speaker 1: have all that food adds up quick. Now. That was

25
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,360
Speaker 1: a major factor in the state's decision more than ten

26
00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,040
Speaker 1: years ago to put a commercial food waste ban in place.

27
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,959
Speaker 1: A new reports out showing that it's making a huge

28
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,959
Speaker 1: impact on so many levels. Let's talk about it now

29
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,720
Speaker 1: with Bonnie Hipel. She's been here before. Bonnie is the

30
00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,120
Speaker 1: commissioner of the state's Department of Environmental Protections. So Bonnie,

31
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,160
Speaker 1: thank you for coming back. I want to find out

32
00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,560
Speaker 1: more about how the state determined I guess that this

33
00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,160
Speaker 1: was something that we needed, and how they figured out

34
00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:39,960
Speaker 1: how to roll this out in the first place.

35
00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,840
Speaker 2: This dis Bogo ban applies to food waste, which is

36
00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,520
Speaker 2: food that is wasted or lost along the way that

37
00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,040
Speaker 2: really was intended originally for human consumption.

38
00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:51,760
Speaker 3: In the US.

39
00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,920
Speaker 2: Just to sort of ground truth and set the stage here,

40
00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:59,120
Speaker 2: about forty percent of all food that's produced for us

41
00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,120
Speaker 2: to eat goes onni in and about ninety five percent

42
00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,280
Speaker 2: of that discarded food ends up in landfills. So this

43
00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,200
Speaker 2: is a really huge environmental problem. So our food waste

44
00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,320
Speaker 2: ban in Massachusetts requires that businesses and institutions that generate

45
00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,000
Speaker 2: more than one half ton of food waste per week

46
00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,399
Speaker 2: find a way to keep those materials out of landfills.

47
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,560
Speaker 2: So we started with this ban a number of years ago.

48
00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,960
Speaker 2: Originally the threshold was one ton, so we've made it

49
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,679
Speaker 2: increasingly stringent over time to bring in more businesses, bring

50
00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,240
Speaker 2: in more institutions. Now that we really have the market

51
00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,440
Speaker 2: and the capability for dealing with diverted food waste.

52
00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,960
Speaker 1: Now, do you find that institutions and businesses are generally

53
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,519
Speaker 1: receptive or do you get some pushback when it comes

54
00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,200
Speaker 1: to this, because at the end of the day, it's

55
00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:45,880
Speaker 1: more money and energy and time for them.

56
00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:47,919
Speaker 3: Absolutely. I wouldn't say we get pushed back.

57
00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,920
Speaker 2: We get questions, Okay, this is something that's new for

58
00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,640
Speaker 2: a lot of businesses right there in the business of

59
00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,720
Speaker 2: producing dumplings, or you know, it's a college that feeds

60
00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:02,000
Speaker 2: a lot of students, but their primary purpose is education.

61
00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,919
Speaker 2: So I think, really we've been so successful in Massachusetts

62
00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,800
Speaker 2: in helping those entities figure out ways to do this

63
00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,160
Speaker 2: practically on the ground. So we started a program that's

64
00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,480
Speaker 2: called Recycling Works in Massachusetts that actually goes out on

65
00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,840
Speaker 2: the ground physically to these locations and works with these companies,

66
00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,000
Speaker 2: with these institutions to figure out where and their existing

67
00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:30,080
Speaker 2: processes are good opportunities for intervention to make sure that

68
00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:31,799
Speaker 2: food waste is staying out of the trash.

69
00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,480
Speaker 1: That's great. Yeah, I love talking about food rescue. I've

70
00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,360
Speaker 1: had some food rescue groups on the show before, like

71
00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,040
Speaker 1: Spoonfuls out in Newton. I am fascinated by the efforts

72
00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:42,760
Speaker 1: that they will go to to make sure that food

73
00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:44,920
Speaker 1: that some people would say is oh it's outdated, or

74
00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,240
Speaker 1: it says best Buy, they would just kind of cast

75
00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,760
Speaker 1: to decide and toss it out. They are making sure

76
00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,000
Speaker 1: that they are utilizing this to the fullest extent. It

77
00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,240
Speaker 1: really I think makes you think twice about what is

78
00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:56,880
Speaker 1: actually like food gone bad.

79
00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:58,280
Speaker 3: It absolutely does.

80
00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,720
Speaker 2: And even you know, food waste can happen at any

81
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,080
Speaker 2: point in the food supply chain. So even at a

82
00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,800
Speaker 2: farm if they don't think they can sell dispatch of

83
00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,000
Speaker 2: apples because they're too ugly, they're misshapen, something like that.

84
00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,680
Speaker 2: We've really seen a growth in the amount of food

85
00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:19,080
Speaker 2: rescue opportunities, even mailing systems.

86
00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,320
Speaker 3: Right there's ugly foods, which sends you just produce that's.

87
00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,000
Speaker 2: Perfectly fine and healthy, but that may not sell on

88
00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:26,680
Speaker 2: the traditional grocery store shelf.

89
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,800
Speaker 3: So again, lots of options and just making.

90
00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:33,600
Speaker 2: Sure that if we are providing food for human consumption,

91
00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,000
Speaker 2: that it's healthy, that it's good, lots of other options.

92
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,200
Speaker 2: When food is no longer healthy and good, you can

93
00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,719
Speaker 2: put it in an anaerobic digester, which creates biogas from

94
00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,280
Speaker 2: food as it decomposes. You can compost it so you're

95
00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,120
Speaker 2: creating new soil for the next crop, the next season.

96
00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,800
Speaker 2: So you know, even once food is no longer fit

97
00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,640
Speaker 2: for human consumption, again, still other options there that keep

98
00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,039
Speaker 2: food out of the landfill, which is the overarching goal.

99
00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:00,599
Speaker 1: Yeah, let's talk about the landfill and methai and gas

100
00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,000
Speaker 1: and all that, because I remember, many many moons ago,

101
00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:04,560
Speaker 1: when I was a child, I was told, you know,

102
00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,440
Speaker 1: it's not the biggest deal if the food goes in

103
00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,840
Speaker 1: the trash, because it's going to break down, it's going

104
00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,880
Speaker 1: to be biodegradable. Clearly, it is not that simple. Tell

105
00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,479
Speaker 1: us why it is so important that we don't put

106
00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:17,800
Speaker 1: all this food waste just in the trash.

107
00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:22,240
Speaker 2: It's certainly important from the perspective of getting it to

108
00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,600
Speaker 2: the place it's needed most right again, for hungry families

109
00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,760
Speaker 2: in need, if we can get it there and if.

110
00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:28,880
Speaker 3: The food is still fit for that.

111
00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,760
Speaker 2: Also, throwing it away in the trash drives up disposal costs.

112
00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,240
Speaker 2: It uses our very limited landfill capacity here in Massachusetts.

113
00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,040
Speaker 2: We don't have a lot of space in our existing landfills.

114
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,599
Speaker 2: We need to conserve that for things that truly have

115
00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,520
Speaker 2: no other use. As you point out, it's also a

116
00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,200
Speaker 2: climate issue. So the food does break down, it does biodegrade,

117
00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,320
Speaker 2: but as it does that, it creates methane, which is

118
00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,600
Speaker 2: one of our most potent greenhouse gases.

119
00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:56,600
Speaker 3: We have actually seen.

120
00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,400
Speaker 2: We've measured that by virtue of this food waste spin

121
00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:03,000
Speaker 2: in massachu sets, we've slashed methane emissions from food waste

122
00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:05,600
Speaker 2: by more than a quarter, So we reduce by more

123
00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,120
Speaker 2: than twenty five percent. That's really potent greenhouse gas that's

124
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,919
Speaker 2: going into our atmosphere and contributing to climate change.

125
00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, clearly we've been doing pretty well on several levels here.

126
00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,200
Speaker 1: Because we have this new report that came out recently,

127
00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,680
Speaker 1: it shows that not only environmentally has this effort been

128
00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,160
Speaker 1: good it's been good for job growth, it's been good

129
00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,200
Speaker 1: for commercial activity. Kind of break down this report for

130
00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,360
Speaker 1: us if you couldn't tell us about some of these findings.

131
00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:34,440
Speaker 2: Absolutely, So alongside the education and awareness that we've really

132
00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:38,279
Speaker 2: tried to foster and support with these food waste disposal bands,

133
00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,640
Speaker 2: we've also been investing. So we've been investing really thoughtfully,

134
00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:46,080
Speaker 2: helping organizations like Spoonfuls that does the food recovery, helping

135
00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:50,800
Speaker 2: municipalities build out their capabilities to be part of this food.

136
00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,520
Speaker 3: Reuse and upcycling ecosystem.

137
00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:59,920
Speaker 2: We're seeing some really significant positive environmental and economic impacts

138
00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:00,600
Speaker 2: from all of this.

139
00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:02,680
Speaker 3: So there was a June twenty.

140
00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,960
Speaker 2: Twenty five independent analysis that really confirmed what we've long

141
00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:11,120
Speaker 2: known that this food wastepan is good for business. We

142
00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,720
Speaker 2: it estimated, which is a pretty stunning number, almost seventeen

143
00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,160
Speaker 2: hundred new jobs associated with this food waste span over

144
00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,880
Speaker 2: the last decade or so since it's been in place,

145
00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,000
Speaker 2: about one hundred and forty three million dollars in labor income,

146
00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:30,160
Speaker 2: three hundred and ninety million dollars in industry activity. So

147
00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:34,080
Speaker 2: we're really seeing a tremendous market spring up to meet

148
00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,760
Speaker 2: this need that if we're saying, you know, it's a ban, right,

149
00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,880
Speaker 2: so you can't do one thing, but there are so

150
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,880
Speaker 2: many other things you can do, and businesses are flocking

151
00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:44,200
Speaker 2: in to fill that need and.

152
00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:44,920
Speaker 3: Fill that gap.

153
00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, and renewable energy is big here too. And of course,

154
00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,200
Speaker 1: as you were talking about a little bit earlier, you've

155
00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,360
Speaker 1: got the anaerobic digesters. What do they call it? Is

156
00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:54,880
Speaker 1: that the correct term for them? More?

157
00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:55,480
Speaker 2: It is?

158
00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,120
Speaker 1: Yes, okay, anaerobic digesters. I'm not a scientist, so work

159
00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,040
Speaker 1: with me here. Sorry, but you know you've gotten methods

160
00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,600
Speaker 1: where you can turn this food waste into something that

161
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,280
Speaker 1: we can use. Tell me a little bit more about

162
00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,920
Speaker 1: how all these efforts are making the state or helping

163
00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,559
Speaker 1: the stake get closer to its goals on renewable energy.

164
00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:17,200
Speaker 2: So the biogas anaerobic digestion is basically you've seen them

165
00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:23,240
Speaker 2: maybe along highways or along the waterfront. These they're often

166
00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,760
Speaker 2: egg shaped, and these little bugs that eat they thrive

167
00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:31,480
Speaker 2: on bacteria and other things that are in materials like

168
00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:35,240
Speaker 2: food waste. So you're feeding the digester with things like

169
00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,679
Speaker 2: food waste. It's creating biogas, which can help keep the

170
00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,880
Speaker 2: lights on, you know, it's something that can actually be

171
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:42,120
Speaker 2: a closed loop system.

172
00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:43,040
Speaker 3: If there's a big.

173
00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,560
Speaker 2: Grocery store right there that's diverting the food that would

174
00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,319
Speaker 2: otherwise be wasted and thrown into the landfill at the

175
00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:50,160
Speaker 2: grocery store.

176
00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,679
Speaker 3: I've seen it live here in Massachusetts. They feed the digest.

177
00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:54,520
Speaker 3: The digester is.

178
00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,599
Speaker 2: Cutting their energy bills, so they're no longer reliant on,

179
00:08:57,960 --> 00:08:59,120
Speaker 2: you know, fossil fuels.

180
00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:00,600
Speaker 3: They have a clothes sloop system.

181
00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,160
Speaker 2: It's really cost effective for these facilities over time and

182
00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,480
Speaker 2: helping with our over overall energy mix and energy needs.

183
00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,920
Speaker 1: Well, then let's talk about this big goal that the

184
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,200
Speaker 1: state has you all by twenty thirty, Well, we all

185
00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,319
Speaker 1: because we all live here. There's a big goal of

186
00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,400
Speaker 1: diverting seven hundred and eighty thousand tons of food waste

187
00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,719
Speaker 1: each year. Where are we now in twenty twenty five,

188
00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:25,439
Speaker 1: trying to make our way toward that goal.

189
00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:29,080
Speaker 2: We are diverting about four hundred thousand tons of food

190
00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,880
Speaker 2: waste sitting here right now, which is a really tremendous

191
00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,240
Speaker 2: growth since we started this program a number of years ago.

192
00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,600
Speaker 2: We were at about one hundred thousand tons at that point,

193
00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,959
Speaker 2: and all of this investment and education and building these

194
00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,599
Speaker 2: markets has really allowed us to see tremendous growth, So

195
00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,480
Speaker 2: we feel good about meeting that goal.

196
00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,000
Speaker 3: I will say we still.

197
00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:54,800
Speaker 2: Throw away nearly one million tons of food in the

198
00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,000
Speaker 2: trash per year, so we have a ways to go.

199
00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:02,719
Speaker 2: And we also have a challenging dynamic in that as

200
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,080
Speaker 2: the economy grows, food waste tends to grow as well,

201
00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,960
Speaker 2: So there's a relationship between those two things. So ironically,

202
00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,560
Speaker 2: as we're growing as a state, as we're open for business,

203
00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:18,439
Speaker 2: as we're welcoming in these great new economic opportunities, that

204
00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,000
Speaker 2: makes it harder for us to meet these food waste goals.

205
00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:22,920
Speaker 2: So we really need to double down on these efforts

206
00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,240
Speaker 2: to continue our positive growth over time.

207
00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, how are you planning on meeting that goal at

208
00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,240
Speaker 1: this point? Do you have any new ideas or have

209
00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,400
Speaker 1: you evolved your plan? I guess you could say, as

210
00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:34,800
Speaker 1: we try to push forward in the next five years.

211
00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,719
Speaker 2: Absolutely, we lowered the threshold for that food waste ban

212
00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,440
Speaker 2: just a few years ago, so we're really continuing now

213
00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,839
Speaker 2: with our outreach and education to make sure that the

214
00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,680
Speaker 2: entities that are newly covered by that ban are aware

215
00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,640
Speaker 2: of it and that they know what to do to comply,

216
00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,599
Speaker 2: so sending out recycling works or providing other resources to

217
00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,480
Speaker 2: get folks up and running and make sure that they're

218
00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:02,600
Speaker 2: able to do this diversion at the facility. We also

219
00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,679
Speaker 2: are continuing to invest, so we have a number of

220
00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,800
Speaker 2: different types of grants here at NSSDP where we are

221
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,319
Speaker 2: supporting businesses at all levels. So we have a micro

222
00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:19,719
Speaker 2: grant program for new startup type businesses, supporting municipalities, we

223
00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,280
Speaker 2: have a Municipal Assistance grant program, and really just being

224
00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:27,680
Speaker 2: thoughtful about where we're injecting that capital to make sure

225
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,599
Speaker 2: that we are again are fostering this whole ecosystem. We

226
00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,920
Speaker 2: don't want to ban something and not have municipalities or

227
00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,800
Speaker 2: individuals or businesses have anything to do with it, right,

228
00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,000
Speaker 2: We don't want to create a problem for people. We

229
00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,439
Speaker 2: understand that if we make this easy, we make this

230
00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,839
Speaker 2: efficient and ultimately a money saver for businesses. This is

231
00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,240
Speaker 2: something that people are naturally going to evolve and do

232
00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:47,920
Speaker 2: on their own.

233
00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,240
Speaker 1: Well, then individuals listening to this right now, because we

234
00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,160
Speaker 1: might not all obviously own a business or a restaurant,

235
00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:57,280
Speaker 1: but this is a lofty goal and if somebody is listening,

236
00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:01,040
Speaker 1: how can they individually help the state get to that

237
00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,160
Speaker 1: food diversion goal. Do you recommend composting, do you recommend

238
00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,120
Speaker 1: taking the food somewhere? How can people individually help?

239
00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,760
Speaker 3: Absolutely, composting is a great option.

240
00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,440
Speaker 2: We do have some resources online on how to compost

241
00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:16,440
Speaker 2: properly so that you're not creating something that's smelly, that's messy.

242
00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:22,880
Speaker 2: We're also seeing increasingly curbside collection or municipal collection for

243
00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:24,520
Speaker 2: residential food waste.

244
00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:26,520
Speaker 3: So we have in the city of.

245
00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:28,719
Speaker 2: Boston they're doing a great program where you get a

246
00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,880
Speaker 2: little green bin and you may see them out on

247
00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:35,160
Speaker 2: the sidewalk in Boston and other cities in towns, and

248
00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,040
Speaker 2: you put your food waste in there. It's incredible how

249
00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,400
Speaker 2: much food waste you can generate, even if you are

250
00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,760
Speaker 2: really thoughtful about it. There's some just natural things, right

251
00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,240
Speaker 2: that are always going to be discarded. A corn husk,

252
00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,199
Speaker 2: a corn cob, something like that. Yeah, but there's some

253
00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:51,719
Speaker 2: a bit that you know, you have the best of

254
00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,959
Speaker 2: intentions and then by the end of the week hasn't

255
00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,959
Speaker 2: been used. So just being thoughtful about what you're buying

256
00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,760
Speaker 2: in the first place, being creative about using that stuff,

257
00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,480
Speaker 2: make a soup, make something you know to use up

258
00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,320
Speaker 2: the vegetables that you bought at the beginning of the week,

259
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,160
Speaker 2: and then encouraging your city or town to adopt one

260
00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,320
Speaker 2: of these programs that we at the state level are

261
00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,400
Speaker 2: really trying to grow and support to collect this food

262
00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,199
Speaker 2: waste not only from businesses, but growing you know, to

263
00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:19,640
Speaker 2: our residents as well.

264
00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,199
Speaker 1: Okay, well, somebody wants to find out more about this report.

265
00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:26,160
Speaker 1: They want to find out more about your efforts on

266
00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,040
Speaker 1: the food ban and just a diverting food waste in general.

267
00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:31,800
Speaker 1: How can people connect with your department?

268
00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,400
Speaker 2: So we have great resources on our mass EP website,

269
00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,520
Speaker 2: which also connects to recycling works and these other There

270
00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:43,000
Speaker 2: are a tremendous amount of technical resources, easy to use,

271
00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:47,040
Speaker 2: residential resources, and information about our grant programs. We're also

272
00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,240
Speaker 2: always available, so pick up the phone if you're not

273
00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:52,400
Speaker 2: finding what you need online. Really a big piece of

274
00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,720
Speaker 2: this is education, so not only being available to folks

275
00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,319
Speaker 2: who have questions, but we're in the schools talking to

276
00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:03,240
Speaker 2: kids about this right happens right there, of course, and

277
00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,679
Speaker 2: we want kids to sort of grow up with this

278
00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:07,880
Speaker 2: where it's a natural thing that you know, as you're

279
00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,000
Speaker 2: working your way down the cafeteria line, You're not just

280
00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,599
Speaker 2: throwing out an uneat and apple. You can put that

281
00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:14,800
Speaker 2: somewhere at the end of the cafeteria line where it

282
00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:18,000
Speaker 2: gets washed and used for something else. So really ingraining

283
00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,160
Speaker 2: it early and reinforcing that over time.

284
00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,360
Speaker 1: All right, Commissioner, thanks so much for the time.

285
00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,000
Speaker 3: Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

286
00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:26,920
Speaker 1: I hope you have a safe and happy and healthy

287
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,720
Speaker 1: holiday weekend. Please be sure to tune in again next

288
00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,680
Speaker 1: week for another edition of the show. I'm Nicole Davis

289
00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,520
Speaker 1: from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.