WHY DID WE HOLD A COMPOST SUMMIT? Food waste is a pressing environmental concern in Illinois. In Cook County — and in many counties around the state — it accounts for up to 37% of landfilled material. 1 Food waste is not just filling up municipal dump sites: it is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Composting could be a solution for reducing food waste the same way that, in the last 50 years, recycling has reduced plastic, paper, and aluminum waste. But the eight million residents in greater Chicagoland need more education about composting, and the process needs to be easier and more accessible. The project team, led by Illinois Extension, was interested in exploring this question: “ How can we work together to increase both demand for and the rate of composting adoption to collectively reach a “tipping point” where composting is as common as recycling? ” To do this, Illinois Extension convened greater Chicagoland compost professionals to discuss building a regional compost culture. The summit was designed to break down silos and provide an opportunity for people from diverse sectors to interact. How often does a community garden food scrap composter get to talk with a large commercial composter or an educator to a food scrap hauler?
Kicking off the day attendees were told: “ Today is about meeting new people, breaking down silos, collectively learning and brainstorming action we, as compost professionals, can take to speed up the process of compost adoption. We are confident that together we can build a culture of composting to foster healthy environments and local circular economies, strengthen urban farms and gardens, and to meet the EPA’s goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030. Thank you so much for being here. Your knowledge, ideas, and experiences are what will help us to move forward . ”
Note: The summit captured a specific moment in time. While Chicago does not currently offer municipal curbside hauling, 70 municipalities 2 in the region do. There are a variety of smaller food scrap haulers, and the City of Chicago is piloting a compost drop off program in six community gardens. Prior to our meeting, Chicago elected a new mayor and 1/3 of the city’s alderman were newly elected. All the excitement and, perhaps, anxiety about where the region may go in the next 2, 5 or 10 years are evident in the comments recorded throughout the summit.
1 https://illinoisrecycles.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2015-Waste-Characterization-Update-FINAL.pdf 2 https://illinoiscomposts.org/resources/6bg-municipalities-that-compost/
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