Victoria, BC—– The Capital Regional District (CRD) has joined Canada’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign alongside several provincial ministries, local governments and retailers in an effort to decrease the amount of avoidable food waste that residents in our region produce.
Although kitchen scraps were banned from Hartland Landfill in 2015, reducing food waste in our region continues to be a priority area for pollution prevention—especially as it relates to both the ‘3R’ hierarchy (reduce first, reuse second and recycle or compost third) and extending the lifespan of Hartland Landfill.
It’s estimated that over 18,000 tonnes of food waste from the region is sent to composting facilities each year—and, according to the CRD’s 2016 waste stream composition study, avoidable food waste (e.g. wilted lettuce, stale bread, meal leftovers) makes up about 10% of our overall waste stream.
‘Reduce’ and ‘reuse’ are fundamental principles of the CRD’s solid waste management strategy, a community-informed plan that supports, among other activities, public education programs about waste prevention.
To that end, the CRD’s participation in the Love Food Hate Waste project will increase local awareness about the volume of avoidable food waste produced each year (up to $1,100 worth of groceries per household) and reduce this waste stream with seasonal and locally-relevant education about food expiry dates, food storage and preservation and nutritional uses for past-prime fruits and vegetables.
The three-year campaign kicks off this week with a food waste-themed Resilient Region breakfast event on Friday, September 21 from 8—9:30am in Central Saanich for all residents interested in learning more about this waste stream, including a tour of both Michell’s Farm and Hartland Landfill.
For more information, please visit www.crd.bc.ca/lovefood. For the Resilient Region event details, please visit https://bit.ly/2M7LbY8.
Proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and all levels of government to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Melanie Tromp Hoover, Communications Supervisor
CRD Environmental Services
Tel: 250.360.3287
Cell: 250.818.1489