Orange County NC Website
10 <br /> #3 Ranked Project— Food Waste Monitor <br /> Applicant (Collaborators):Town of Carrboro (Orange County Solid Waste Management and Carrboro Farmers' <br /> Market) <br /> Funding Requested: $4,000 <br /> Recommended Funding Level: $4,000 <br /> Total Score(Out of 25 pts): 20.4 <br /> Project Description: "Since 2016, Orange County Solid Waste Management has been providing free food waste <br /> collection on Saturdays at the Carrboro Farmers' Market. Participants can bring all food scraps for collection, <br /> including those which are not recommended for backyard compost. The organic waste is collected weekly by <br /> Brooks Contractors, a local commercial composting company. Approximately 150 patrons utilize this service on a <br /> weekly basis. <br /> The food waste collection program requires a monitor who sets up the collection station, changes out full bins, <br /> counts patrons, helps avoid bin contamination, and provides guidance to program participants." <br /> "Funding will be used to pay a part-time staff member to perform these duties." <br /> Project Benefits: "Residents of Carrboro and Orange County will directly and indirectly benefit from this <br /> program.The program provides direct benefits by providing a free food waste collection service for local <br /> residents. Composting organic material will indirectly benefit local residents by reducing greenhouse gas <br /> emissions in order to mitigate climate change.The food waste collection program is open to the general public <br /> and there are no restrictions to participation. <br /> The program is an important resource for residents of multifamily housing in Carrboro, as their ability to <br /> compost food waste is limited by a lack of yard space to set up a composting bin or pile.This program provides <br /> an opportunity for residents of multifamily housing to compost at no cost. Residents of multifamily housing <br /> make up a large proportion of Carrboro's population, as approximately 58 percent of residences within the <br /> Town are multi-unit structures (5,336 units)." <br /> "Food waste collection is offered at the Carrboro Farmers' Market, located at the Town Commons at 301 W <br /> Main St.The median annual household income for the census tract in this location is$37,100/year, which is <br /> lower than the median annual household income for the Town of Carrboro overall." <br /> "The project location's census tract is more diverse than the Town as a whole. The food waste collection <br /> program will provide a valuable service for residents nearby the market as well as others who frequent the <br /> market during its operating hours." <br /> Grant Dollars Requested Per Metric Ton of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced During Project Lifetime: <br /> $85.05 <br /> HRC Comments: Overall the HRC felt that this project was inexpensive and worth funding. Reducing waste and <br /> ensuring waste is composted serves everyone.The environmental benefits of this project also align with social <br /> justice benefits as less waste would be going to landfills in more vulnerable communities. <br />