Love Food

With Food Waste Prevention Week from April 10-16, Stop Food Waste Day on April 26, and the Love Food, Fight Waste program hitting its one year anniversary, it is time to celebrate!

According to the 2022 Iowa Statewide Material Characterization Study conducted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, approximately 20.4% of what ends up in the Iowa City Landfill is food waste. In 2022, the Iowa City Landfill properly landfilled 130,109.46 tons of garbage from our service area – Johnson County, Kalona, and Riverside. Of that, about 26,542 tons was food waste.

While that is a lot of food waste, we are thrilled to report that our Johnson County community has successfully reduced landfilled food waste. The last waste characterization study was conducted in 2017 and found that food waste made up over 25% of materials entering the Iowa City Landfill. A 5% reduction might not seem like a lot, but in fact, that equates to over 6,000 tons of food! Way to go, Johnson County community!

Why do we want to reduce food waste and keep food out of the landfill?

When food is wasted, it wastes all the resources that went into growing, manufacturing, distributing, and transporting that food. At the landfill, once garbage is compacted into place by our trained Landfill Operators, there is no air (oxygen) or light in a landfill hole. This is the perfect environment for methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, to be produced in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of so many organic materials (food waste). One of the best things each of us can do to take climate action is to reduce food waste.

A great alternative for food waste disposal is composting. While we encourage good, edible food to be eaten as the first priority, we will always have the inevitable banana peels, eggshells, and coffee grounds that we want to responsibly dispose of. Composting is a great option for those items! For a deep dive into composting, check out this Love Food, Fight Waste article on composting.

Who is recovering food in Johnson County?

That 5% reduction in food waste over the past five years was aided in part by Table to Table’s (T2T) increase in food recovery. T2T saw up to a 60% increase in the amount of food rescued annually since the last waste audit.

Table to Table manages a complex food rescue network throughout Johnson County involving more than 100 food donors and 50 recipient organizations. Food donors include area stores, warehouses, processors, restaurants, farms, markets, and gardeners that donate their unsold or extra food to Table to Table. T2T volunteers deliver this food directly to organizations that are serving our neighbors in need so this food reaches people as quickly as possible. These organizations include food pantries, shelters, hot meal sites, and youth programs that connect rescued food to our neighbors. Ultimately, people rescue food by eating it: using it for its intended purpose!

In 2022, T2T recovered 2.2 million pounds of food, redirecting it throughout our community where it was needed and feeding more than 22,000 people. More than half of this food is produce, protein, and dairy. Remember that the top five most commonly wasted foods are apples (produce), potatoes (produce), cheese (dairy), milk (dairy), and bread. T2T is making a huge local impact in these most-wasted categories.

T2T rescued food provides about half the total food that the three largest local pantries distribute. Plus, recovered food helps provide more options, including vegan and gluten free foods and a variety of produce grown locally.

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Activity

• Rescue food in our community! If you have a little extra room in your schedule on weekday or Saturday mornings, sign up to volunteer with Table to Table. Volunteer opportunities include recovering and delivering food on food rescue routes, prepping our food rescue vehicles, and harvesting veggies in farm fields this summer. Visit T2T’s volunteer page, email volunteer@table2table.org, or call 319-337-3400 for more information.
• Educate yourself on local options to donate extra food and personal care items. Here are just a few wish lists from organizations serving our neighbors:
  • CommUnity
  • Coralville Community Food Pantry
  • North Liberty Community Pantry
  • Food Pantry at Iowa
  • Iowa City Free Lunch
  • Shelter House Iowa City
  • You may also bring items (dry goods, garden produce, pet food, and hygiene products) to Table to Table to deliver throughout the local hunger relief network.

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Resources

• 2022 Iowa Statewide Material Characterization Study

• EPA’s Food: Material-Specific Data

• Iowa Department of Natural Resources article: “A Land of Plenty Wasted – Food Waste in Iowa”

• Iowa City Press Citizen article: “Johnson County residents get access to free, healthy food thanks to local nonprofits”

Did that apple you’re eating come from five miles down the road, or is it more well-traveled than you are? Reduce your carbon footprint and benefit your health by choosing local food.

Monthly Topic Overview

Why does choosing local food matter?

“Choosing local whenever in season and when possible, as often as possible, strengthens a community-based food system,” says Michelle Kenyon, director of Field to Family, an Iowa City-based nonprofit that works to create a healthy and sustainable local food system. “Community food systems enhance the health of our economy, environment, and our population.”

Let’s go in-depth with benefits: 

• Choosing local food reduces transportation-associated greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Significant greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food logistics. Most conventional food travels over 1,000 miles to get to us, the consumers. (To put that into perspective, that’s like driving to Boston from Iowa City.) Almost one-fifth of carbon emissions in the food system are from burning fossil fuels to transport (and refrigerate) food via trucks, trains, boats, etc. With a greater distance to travel, there’s also a higher chance of food spoiling or being damaged on its journey, leading to more food waste.
• Choosing local food offers fresher, more nutritious options that benefit your health.
  • Food sourced locally spends much less time in transit from the farm to your plate, which means it loses fewer nutrients before you eat it. Plus, it’s fresher and tastes better. Eating local encourages you to eat with the seasons, learning when certain types of produce are at their peak for quality and taste.
  • Plus, many local farmers take environmental health into consideration when growing food, using sustainable practices to increase biodiversity and protect pollinators.
  • “‘Know your farmer, know your food’ is absolutely true, as local farmers are transparent when it comes to their growing philosophies,” Kenyon says. “Those who implement growing practices that are committed to improving soil, water, and air health are upfront about it.”
• Choosing local food strengthens our food system.
  • When you purchase local food, you’re supporting local farming, processing, and distribution jobs, keeping your dollars in our local economy. The more of our local dollars that go into local food, the more local food is grown in our region. Those dollars invest in the future of our food supply.
  • In addition to food, agritourism supports our community’s economy. Participating in local activities like farm to table dinners, goat yoga, and apple picking ultimately support folks living and working in our communities.

How can I access local food in Johnson County?

Now that you understand the difference that eating local can make, let’s delve into how you can access local foods in Johnson County. Our community is host to a lot of quality local food options, including these listed:

• Farmers Markets offer seasonal local foods and goods sold by our neighbors. Markets typically run May-October. Check out this list of Johnson County Farmers Markets. 
• If you’re looking to order local foods online, Field to Family offers an online farmers market beginning Earth Week, April 17.
• Many local farms offer community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares for purchase. Vegetable shares are seasonal and subscription-based. Find a local CSA with this guide to Iowa CSA farms.
• Want to grow your own produce? You can’t get more local than that!
  • Try your hand at gardening in your backyard; or, if your space is limited, container gardens kept on patios, steps, or in windows are excellent for growing your own tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lettuces, strawberries, and herbs.
  • Iowa City community garden plots are another great option for planting your own garden or gardening with friends.
  • Plus: share your bounty and grow an extra row to donate to Table to Table! Drop your donations off at the Table to Table office in Pepperwood Plaza, 1049 US-6 E, Iowa City on weekdays or Saturday mornings.
• Shop local at the grocery store. Wherever you shop, check labels when you’re shopping to see where the food you’re planning to purchase came from.
• Free produce stands are hosted throughout the growing season at locations in Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty, stocked with fresh, local produce, free to all. Keep an eye on social media for Table to Table, CommUnity, Coralville Community Pantry, and North Liberty Community Pantry later this spring for details.

Activity

• Learn about how you can access local food in our area with Field to Family’s resources.
• Next time you go to the grocery store, pick out three produce items and check the labels. Where are the items from? Are they local or from a faraway place?

Resources

• Learn more about Field to Family’s “Farm to School” Month, educating the next generation about local agriculture (video).
• Watch “Dirty Food Chain: Why You Should Know Where Your Food Comes From” (video)
• Healthline lists seven great reasons to eat local foods.
• Check out Field to Family’s Local Food Explorer.
• Field to Family explains: “Where does your food come from?” 
• Ecowatch lists 10 reasons to eat local.
• Emory University analyzes energy that goes into food production and distribution (2010).
• Nature discusses CO2 emissions from transporting food.
• Reference this Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Calendar to learn when your favorite produce is at its peak.

Banana peels, watermelon rinds, corncobs, eggshells, coffee grounds – the list goes on of food scraps that we don’t traditionally eat. Once we’ve eaten the banana, scrambled the eggs, and drank the coffee, what can we do with these non-edible scraps? Compost them!

Monthly Topic Overview

The Love Food, Fight Waste program has focused mainly on food waste reduction over the last several months because preventing food waste from forming in the first place is the top priority for reducing our environmental footprints. This priority is concerned with edible foods – the banana, not the peel; the egg, not the shell. For these non-edible food parts, composting is a great alternative to throwing these items out.

Below are several common questions related to composting answered.

What is composting? 

Composting is the process of turning organic material (food scraps, garden/yard waste) into a nutrient-rich material that can be added to lawns and gardens to improve the health of the soil and the plants that grow in it.

Decomposition, the breakdown of materials, happens naturally in the environment. For example, leaves fall off trees during autumn and slowly decompose into detritus (organic matter) with the help of bacteria and bugs.

Composting is “facilitated decomposition.” The organic material in a compost pile is still naturally breaking down with the help of bacteria and bugs. In addition to this natural breakdown, Compost Operators facilitate this process by turning the pile to let oxygen in. Oxygen is needed for the materials to decompose.

What is organic material?

Organic material includes the following:

• Food (including fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy)
• Garden/yard waste (including branches, grass, leaves, flowers, plants)
• Paper (including shredded paper, greasy/cheesy pizza boxes, paper napkins, paper towels)
  • Clean paper, such as a pizza box with no food on it, is also fine to recycle.
  • Shredded paper, due to its small size, is difficult to successfully sort at our recycling sorting facility in the mix of other materials which is why we do not accept shredded paper in curbside recycling. Shredded paper can be composted, or it can be recycled via the paper bin at a local recycling drop-off location.

What can be composted at our local Compost Facility? 

All of the materials listed above in the last question: food, garden/yard waste, and paper products!

Who can compost at our local Compost Facility? 

The Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center, where the Compost Facility is located, serves all of Johnson County (residents at no cost, and businesses for a fee).

Where is our local Compost Facility? 

The Compost Facility is located at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center on the west side of town, 3900 Hebl Ave. SW, Iowa City. The facility is open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

How does our local Compost Facility make compost?  

From start to finish, the composting process takes about one year at our facility. Here’s how it works:

As clean loads of organic material come into the compost facility at the landfill, it is piled in a designated area. Our Compost Operators use equipment to lift material from the pile and load it into the grinder equipment. The grinder shreds the organic material into evenly sized pieces. This shredded material is then formed into long rows that are approximately 12 feet high.

The organic material in a compost pile is naturally breaking down over time with the help of bacteria and bugs. In addition to this natural breakdown, Compost Operators facilitate this process by turning the material with equipment once per month. As the bugs and bacteria are working away breaking material down, they produce heat, water vapor, and carbon dioxide. Turning and mixing the material is an important step because it allows oxygen in and releases heat which maintains a healthy temperature and oxygen level.

During the processing time, each compost row is required to maintain a temperature of at least 132 degrees F for a consistent two-week period. This requirement ensures that heat kills harmful bacteria and pathogens.

After several months of decomposition, monthly turning, and consistent monitoring, the material processes into the nutrient-rich soil amendment that we call compost. Before it is available to the public for sale, the compost is fed through the screener equipment to pull out any large organic pieces that did not properly break down or contamination pieces. It sits for one month to return to ambient temperature, and then it is available for sale to residents and businesses in Johnson County.

How can I compost at home? 

• Curbside composting
  • Curbside composting is available to Iowa City residents living in single-family homes up to 4-unit apartment buildings ($3.50/month on utility bill).
  • If you are a curbside customer, check out the Curbside Composting Guide.
• Backyard composting
  • Learn how to compost in your backyard with the Composting At Home Guide.
• Take materials to the Compost Facility
  • If you would like to reduce trips and wait until you have a larger quantity of food waste, place in the freezer until you are ready to compost to avoid odor and rot issues.

Don’t forget about source reduction!

Composting is a food waste disposal method that is environmentally-better than landfilling, but it is still waste. It is important to eat edible food as the first priority to prevent wasting good food and to reserve composting for the non-edible food parts.

Activity

If you compost: 

Look in your compost bin to see the different items that have been thrown in. Are the food items non-edible, like coffee grounds, or are they food items that could have been eaten and instead were wasted, like moldy bread?

If you don’t compost: 

Look in your trash can to see what has been thrown away. Do you see any non-edible food waste that could be composted? Check out the tips above to learn how you can get started with composting.

Resources

• Residential Curbside Composting Information:
  • Iowa City Curbside Composting Guide 
  • Coralville Information
  • North Liberty Information
• Home Composting Guide
• Learn more about the Iowa City Landfill services and the Compost Facility with this short video.

• NPR’s 5-step guide to composting 
• Beginner’s guide to composting: How do I compost? Where does it end up? How does it help fight climate change?

Those Brussels sprouts look wilty. That bread is crusty and stale. They can’t be good to eat, right? Think before you toss. There may be a way to revive that day-old veggie or bread into a tasty dish.

Monthly Topic Overview

Bread, fruit, and vegetables are just a few food categories at risk of getting wasted when items appear stale, bruised, or wilted. Embracing food imperfections with a little culinary creativity can significantly reduce food waste (and save you money!).

A note on food safety: 

Many foods in these conditions (stale, wilted, etc.) are safe to eat. Following our tips on food expiration dates can help with understanding what is safe or not. Beyond these guidelines, use your senses – some foods are noticeably beyond saving if the look, smell, or taste is concerning.

Tips by food type: 

• Bread: Make croutons, breadcrumbs, French toast, bread pudding, stuffing, and more with stale bread. Here are a few sources for recipes:
  • Insanely Good Recipes
  • The Kitchen Community 
• Milk: Did you know that milk is safe to consume for a week past its expiration date (as long as it has been properly refrigerated)? Do a smell test.
  • Slightly sour milk can be used as a substitute for buttermilk in cooking such items as pancakes or biscuits.
  • Whole milk can be used to make ricotta cheese. Learn how with Emily from Table to Table.
  • Not sure how to tell if milk is just a little sour or if it is spoiled? Check out this resource to learn more.
• Lettuce: Unwilt your lettuce by soaking in an ice bath. Learn how from Cook’s Illustrated.
• Bananas: Mushy and browned bananas? No problem! These are actually the best bananas for banana bread, smoothies, and more.
  • Banana bread recipe from Allrecipes
  • 36 other over-ripe banana recipes from Taste of Home.
  • Have more bananas than you can eat right now? Freeze them.
• Apples: Bruised or wrinkled apples? These can be perfect for baking applesauce, pies, and other desserts. For a variety of recipes that use old or bruised apples, check out Kitchn.
• Tomatoes: There are a ton of recipe solutions for overripe or bruised tomatoes from lasagna, to marinara sauce, to soups. View recipes from EatingWell.

More tips: 

• Mushy berries and other bruised, overripe fruits can be used to make smoothies. Blend fruit with water, juice, or milk. Add some honey or cinnamon for extra flavor and added nutrition!
• Got other wilted veggies besides lettuce? Soak wilted vegetables (carrots, celery and more) in an ice bath for about 10 minutes to bring them back to life. Wilted produce is usually a result of loss of water and they just need to be rehydrated. Learn more.
• Stale crackers or chips can be re-toasted in the oven to crisp them up. Learn more.
• Soup or sauce too salty? Add some vinegar, lemon juice, water, or brown sugar. Learn more.

Activity

Got some stale bread at home? Follow along with Emily in the kitchen and whip up some seasoned croutons or breadcrumbs!

Resources

• Tips to revive food from a variety of sources:
  • Sustainable Connections
  • My Recipes
  • Save the Food
• NPR interview with Dana Gunders (formerly with the Natural Resource Defense Council and now Director of ReFED) on tips to cut kitchen waste
• How to revive food (Rachael Ray Show video)
• How to make croutons or breadcrumbs from stale bread (Table to Table video)

When it comes to food, the highest and best use is to eat it. When eating food is not possible, we turn to other uses for food that are better options than landfilling. This month, Love Food, Fight Waste is highlighting the food hierarchy to delve into the best ways to manage food for people and the planet.

Monthly Topic Overview

The food hierarchy is helpful to break down all the different ways food can be managed and to identify which options are better than others, from a social, economic, and environmental perspective. Let’s break it down layer by layer.

#1 Source Reduction: Reducing food waste at the source (such as your home) is the best for you and the environment. When we eat the food we purchase, we save money and make less trash. There is a lot of energy, water, and other resources that go into growing and producing food, and when we eat it, we are making that whole process worth it!

• Take Action: Learn how to reduce food waste at the source by checking out our past monthly promotions listed above under “Program Timeline.”

#2 Feed People: When there is more food than what a home or business can realistically consume or sell, donate it to feed others! Depending on where you live, there are different options on how to donate.

• Take Action: Here in Iowa City, we have our food rescuers at Table to Table and CommUnity that do great work in this slice of our food hierarchy “pie.” Both organizations take nonperishable canned goods and fresh produce from gardens and Table to Table can accept leftover food from events. Donate or volunteer to make a difference!

#3 Feed Animals: When circumstances arise where food is unable to be distributed for people to eat, a great next use is to feed farm animals.

• Take Action: If you know of a consistent food source that fits into this layer of the food hierarchy, there may be a local farmer interested in receiving it! Visit Practical Farmers to find a farmer near you.

#4 Industrial Uses: When food cannot be eaten or fed to animals, it can be utilized to produce energy. This is usually at the commercial or industrial scale.

#5 Compost: Composting is a great option when food cannot be utilized in the above, and is especially useful for non-edible types of food waste such as banana peels, eggshells, and coffee grounds. Composting is the process of facilitated decomposition in which food scraps and other organic materials are made into compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Compost can be added to your yard or garden to give your soil a nutrient boost.

• Take Action: For information on composting at home, curbside, or directly at the Compost Facility, visit the City of Iowa City’s food waste web page.

#6 Landfill: As a last resort option, food waste is legally allowed to be landfilled in most locations. This is considered the least recommended option because of many reasons. Organic material, such as food, in a landfill environment where there is no air or light produces a potent greenhouse gas known as methane. Throwing food away also wastes all the resources that went into growing and making that food in the first place.

Activity

• If you compost:
  • Look in your compost bin to see what different items have been thrown in. Are the food items non-edible, like coffee grounds, or are they food items that could have been eaten and instead were wasted, like moldy bread?
• If you don’t compost:
  • Look in your trash can to see what has been thrown away. Do you see any food items, and if so, were they food items that could have been eaten and instead were wasted?

Resources

• EPA’s information on food hierarchy and composting
• FoodPrint’s assortment of food waste reduction resources, including worm composting and regular composting tips, food waste reduction tips, and more!

“Which fruits do I keep in the refrigerator (fridge), and which ones on the counter? How can I make my bread last longer?”

Monthly Topic Overview

Oftentimes, we find ourselves peering into the depths of a fridge at a Tupperware long-forgotten on the bottom shelf and wondering, “what was that?” By checking your fridge daily and making sure produce isn’t kept in the coldest spots and leftovers are properly sealed and labeled, you can stop playing “what was that” and fully enjoy the meals you create.

How you store food matters. You can make your food last longer by storing it in optimal conditions and organizing your fridge and pantry. Another essential benefit is that correct food storage helps to prevent foodborne illnesses. 

Reduce food waste with these tips:

• Fruit and vegetables:
  • Apples, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and bananas should be kept separate from other produce to prevent speedy ripening. 
  • Keep potatoes in the fridge, which can make them last up to 3 to 4 months
  • To prevent potato sprouting, keep potatoes and onions separate, and place an apple with potatoes. 
• Dairy: 
  • Milk: Don’t place milk in your fridge door, as the frequent temperature fluctuation from opening the fridge can make the milk go bad faster. 
  • Cheese: Store cheese in a colder area of your fridge in a breathable wrap, such as wax paper, which prevents molding. 
• Bread: Freeze bread that you will not use right away. 
  • We can’t always eat food in time, so knowing when to freeze food can make your food last longer and reduce food waste. 
• Get to know your fridge: 
  • Organize food to help you keep track of food that needs to be eaten soon. Use this “Eat Me First” sign to dedicate a section in your fridge for food that is about to go bad and needs to be eaten first. 
  • Mark opened food containers and leftovers with a date of when it was opened or prepared to help keep track of how soon items need to be used up. 
  • Be intentional and efficient when you open the fridge door, and make sure it is completely closed when you’re done perusing the fridge. This reduces how much cold air escapes, which means less energy demand to re-cool the fridge. 
• These tips were provided by Eureka Recycling’s A-Z Food Storage Tips and Stop Food Waste’s Fruit & Veggie Storage Guide. 

Activity

• Reorganize your fridge and pantry! Try starting with the five most wasted foods – bread, milk, cheese, potatoes, and apples.
  • If you have a loaf of bread that’s been sitting on the counter a little too long, freeze it, or try making croutons or bread crumbs. 
  • If you have milk in your fridge door, place it in the interior instead. 
  • Wrap your block of cheese in wax paper and place it in a cold section of your fridge (toward the back). If you have any cheese close to expiring, freeze it! (It helps to shred it before freezing.)
  • If you have potatoes in the pantry, place them in the fridge to keep them fresh longer.
  • Place apples farther away from other fruits and vegetables to prevent speedier ripening.

Other Resources

• Fruit & Veggie Storage Guide from Stop Food Waste: https://stopfoodwaste.org/media/resources/StopFoodWaste-StorageGuide2020.pdf 
• A to Z Food Storage Guide: https://www8.iowa-city.org/WebLink/ElectronicFile.aspx?dbid=0&docid=1779820& 
• Cold Food Storage Chart: https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts 
• “Eat Me First” sign: https://www8.iowa-city.org/weblink/0/edoc/1779819/Eat%20me%20first%20label.pdf 
• NY Times how to keep produce fresh: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/keep-your-produce-fresh/ 
• We Don’t Waste food storage tips: https://www.wedontwaste.org/10-best-ways-to-improve-your-food-storage-at-home/

Moldy bread, sour milk, and wilted veggies — these are all common outcomes of buying too much food.

Monthly Topic Overview
Reduce food waste at home and save money by following our easy, simple tips on how to shop to reduce food waste:

Before you head to the store…

• Shop your kitchen. Inventory which food items you already have in the refrigerator and pantry to avoid buying duplicates.
• Make a list. What meals or dishes do you plan to make this week? Identify which ingredients you will need and add them to the list.
  • Looking for list-making resources? Check out the many available grocery list phone apps, such as AnyList, Mealime, or OurGroceries. If you prefer a paper list, check out this shopping list template.
• Eat a snack or meal. It is important to avoid grocery shopping when hungry as you are more susceptible to impulse purchases and over-buying.

Once at the store…

• Think realistically about items on sale, such as “10 for $5”. It may seem like a tempting deal, but will you actually be able to consume ten? If not, you could end up with food waste, which results in money wasted.
• Control quantity. To have better control of quantity when purchasing produce items, opt for unpackaged fresh fruits and vegetables. (Added climate benefit: you reduce packaging, too!)

Activity

• Shop Your Kitchen:
  • Before going to the grocery store, “shop” your kitchen and make a list of what items you need. Stick to the list during shopping!
    • Shopping List Tool – Option A
    • Shopping List Tool – Option B
• Don’t Shop When Hungry:
  • Eat a snack or meal before grocery shopping. See if you notice a difference in your shopping habits.

Other Resources

• Serve Smart to Reduce Food Waste (short video)
• Shopping Tips from I Value Food
• Meal Prep Mate from Save the Food
• Guest-imator from Save the Food: This tool helps with large meal or party planning to better estimate how much food you will need before heading to the grocery store.
• Fruit & Veggie Storage Guide from Stop Food Waste: Love Food, Fight Waste will be highlighting food storage in August, but to learn more now, check out this guide.