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Both school districts, the food waste collection contractor, and the Solid Waste <br />Department all appeared very interested in moving forward and, at our suggestion, would <br />welcome starting with a pilot program first before implementing this service to all of the <br />schools. <br />Schools present an especially challenging opportunity for food waste collection. While <br />schools create substantial quantities of food waste on a daily basis during the school year, <br />the requirements of the composting processes necessitate fairly rigorous separation and <br />contamination standards. Overseeing such standards in the lunch room for each student <br />is a major undertaking. An ongoing food waste collection program education and <br />outreach campaign would be critical. We discussed with both schools systems what <br />would be needed in each school for a program of this magnitude, and the paradigm shift <br />needed for students and staff to learn how to dispose of their food waste properly. The <br />first step in implementing a successful food waste program would be to collect all the <br />prep waste and educate all the kitchen staff. <br />Again, we strongly recommended beginning with a pilot program at a few schools before <br />implementing the program system-wide. The schools and the Solid Waste Department <br />discussed the possibility of the pilot program including a high school and elementary <br />school from each school district and that we would prefer these pilot locations be <br />geographically close to an existing County program collection location to more <br />efficiently incorporate the pilot schools into the current routing. Both school districts <br />expressed interest in the pilot programs and would prefer that any new program to start at <br />the beginning of the school year. <br />In order to move forward with the pilot program the Solid Waste Department would need <br />to work closely with the schools and the collector to decide which schools would be best <br />for participating in the pilot program. We would need the dedication and commitment <br />from each of the schools for the education and outreach. After all the parties involved are <br />comfortable with beginning a program, we would put the schools on the existing food <br />waste collection route and monitor their progress for an as yet undetermined period of <br />time. Once the school districts, the Solid Waste Department, and the food waste collector <br />feel confident that a food waste collection program will be effective and efficient, the <br />pilot schools can meet the guidelines of proper food waste disposal, and County program <br />funding is available, Orange County can explore expanding food waste collection at each <br />school in both school districts. <br />In order to start collecting post consumer waste (the waste from individual trays), the <br />school systems may need to overhaul the way they distribute food and the way students <br />and staff dispose of their waste. To avoid potential contamination, condiments should not <br />be in small individual packets, but in bulk containers. The type of cutlery and other lunch <br />items will need to be evaluated to ensure the schools meet the proper guidelines for <br />composting. Furthermore, the trays that both school systems have purchased cannot be <br />disposed of with food waste. The schools will need to either purchase different trays or <br />make sure each individual in the school disposes of the existing trays in the garbage after <br />use. Even though the current tray says "biodegradable," it does not necessarily mean it is <br />2 <br />