2024.06_Equity-Focused Citywide Composting Overview

This two-page, 0.6MB PDF provides an overview of the draft composting program. The first page is a graphic showing the process of collecting food scraps in a bucket, taking the bucket to a local green hub once or twice a week to dump the bucket contents, and then a hauler picks up the items and takes them to a local composting facility to be transformed into compost that can be used on local soils to help grow food and other plants. The second page is more text-heavy and detailed with the following text: MISSION: To revolutionize waste management in Albuquerque by transforming food waste from a problem into a sustainable solution. By working together as a community, we can create a more environmentally friendly and resilient city for generations to come. WHY COMPOST? Food waste decomposes in landfills, producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The remaining decomposed material is no longer able to be reused or recycled. Diverting food waste from landfills to composting facilities prevents methane emissions, keeps more of the carbon in the compost, and unlocks nutrients that can be used for plants and creating healthy soils. IMPORTANCE OF EQUITY: Equity is central to environmental justice, ensuring that all communities, regardless of race, income, or social status, have fair access to clean air, water, and land. Environmental injustices, such as the disproportionate siting of landfills and polluting industries in low-income and minority neighborhoods, perpetuate inequalities and exacerbate health disparities. EQUITY IN CITYWIDE COMPOSTING: Ensuring access for frontline communities. This includes site selection, materials, and other possible barriers. PHASE 1: The pilot program will start with five strategically selected sites at community centers: Barelas, WestGate, Heights, Cesar Chavez, and West Mesa and the ABQ BioPark. PHASE 2: Expand sites across the city. How does the program work? A three-step plan to ensure that composting is easy and convenient for every resident: 1. JOIN THE MOVEMENT: Sign up for the program to receive a comprehensive starter kit, including a food waste collection bucket and educational materials on reducing food waste at home. 2. BRING FOOD SCRAPS TO A DROP-OFF LOCATION: Across the city, we’ve established convenient drop-off sites where you can deposit your food scraps. Whether it’s your neighborhood community center or the beautiful Albuquerque BioPark, you’ll find a drop-off location near you. 3. LET US HANDLE THE REST: Once you’ve dropped off your food waste, a hauler will take care of the rest. They’ll transport it to a professional compost facility, where it will undergo transformation into nutrient-rich compost for use in local parks, gardens, and urban agriculture projects. Your feedback is critical to shaping the final program and ensuring that it is successful and long-lasting. Please support the program by completing a survey, to show that our city cares about composting and to get your voice heard. The survey can be accessed via www.cabq.gov/compost. Imagine a future where composting is as commonplace as recycling – together, we can make this vision a reality for Albuquerque.