by Shawnee Baldwin March 3, 2024
“You’re not the boss of me.” “Make me.”
Have you ever said these words? Have they ever been said to you? No one really likes to be told what to do. I am no exception. Martin Luther King, in his letter from a Birmingham Jail, said that most folks don’t do the right thing without a bit of a push or the right motivation.
“My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.” [ ] “Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
While these quotes were made in reference to civil right violations and racism, they apply to increasing efforts to stem the tide of climate change with food waste contributing @40% of the landfill waste. Connecticut is actively trying to reach the Paris climate goals by 2030. Time is not on our side. We need progress in various and multiple sectors to make a dent in the pollution that plagues this planet. It is a delicate dance between mandating and incentivizing change to make permanent progress.
Were you aware of a law that applies to restaurants and businesses that deal with regulating food scraps?
“As of Jan 1, 2022, each commercial food wholesaler or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, grocery store, resort or conference center in Connecticut that generates a projected annual volume of 26 tons or more of source separated organic material (SSOM) and is located not more than 20 miles of an authorized source-separated material composting facility must comply with the Ct Commercial Organic Recycling Law.”
This law was brought to my attention at a recent Environment Summit sponsored by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters. CTLCV primarily advocates for and tracks environmental bills as they move through the legislative process. A bill nicknamed “the Green Monster” (public hearing on March 8) is focusing on a “more carrot than stick” approach showing how it is financially practical and a cost saving practice to be green.
What can you do regarding food scraps?
As a food eater, compost your own food scraps: Bury in your back yard, bring to the buckets behind Town Hall, or engage a hauler like Blue Earth Compost, which has been running a pilot program at one of the elementary schools in town, to come to your home or place of business to pick them up.
As a consumer, next time you eat out, ask the question, “What do you do with your food scraps?” Request water and other drinks be served without a straw. Bring your own containers from home for leftovers to avoid Styrofoam and plastic take out containers. Ask grocery stores that collect plastic bags what they actually do with them as they are not accepted in most recyclable receptacles.
As a restaurant, confirm if you are subject to this law or seek assistance from the Center for Eco Technology (CET) – under contract with CT DEEP, which provides free business technical assistance. Call 888-410-3827 or visit reduceWasteCt@cetonline.org. Even if you fall below the current threshold, think about donating your excess edible food to a shelter, a food bank, or for animal feed. Compost your food scraps. Team up with nearby restaurants to reduce the cost of a compost service.
It is never too late to do the right thing. There is no time like the present. If we each do a little it can make a big difference and make our town and planet more sustainable. It’s the least we can do for the next generation.
The TALK (Truth in Action with Love and Kindness) Environmental Action group seeks to promote conversations about the environment and climate change in our community. If you have a related topic which you are passionate about, please send your ideas and suggestions for future articles to: prez@talk-action.org. All articles are archived on the Talk website http://talk-action.org