The Emeryville Public Market’s food court serves close to 2,000 customers each day, with cuisine from around the globe, offered up by over 20 unique food retailers. Last year the Public Market’s property management company, TMG Partners, added a new item to the menu: a collection program for patrons’ food scraps and compostable dishware. A “key ingredient” of the program was hands-on help from Emeryville High School students. The efforts paid off. In 2010 alone, the Public Market collected 170 tons of compostables—double the amount of previous years.
Collecting food scraps for composting wasn’t a new concept for the food vendors at the Emeryville Public Market. Back in 2006 TMG Partners had worked with the StopWaste Partnership to set up compostables collection in the kitchen and prep areas, keeping some 85 tons of discards out of the landfill each year. However, at the time they weren’t quite ready to also tackle “post-consumer” compostables—food scraps, napkins and paper cups left behind by customers. “Back then the food court was better known as Styrofoam Palace,” jokes Susan Shirk, property manager at the Public Market. “We simply couldn’t expect our patrons to separate their food scraps from non-compostable service ware, before rushing back to their offices,” she explains.
Over the last few years, the availability of compostable bowls, cups, plates and utensils has increased significantly. However, many food service ware items marketed as “biodegradable” don’t appear to be readily compostable using current composting technology. The bottom line for the Public Market: food vendors needed help choosing the right packaging materials.
“We wanted to do the right thing, but we knew it would take a concerted effort,” remembers Shirk. In early summer 2010, she found just the right help for the endeavor: Emeryville High School students participating in the Emery Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) program. Funded by a federal stimulus grant, the program matched Emeryville youth with paid summer internships at local businesses. Five students from Emery High picked the Emeryville Public Market. “It truly was a win-win,” says Shirk. “The interns gained valuable real-world learning experience, and the Public Market got the support it needed to expand the recycling and compostables collection.”
Using a mini grant from public agency StopWaste.Org, Shirk hired a temporary staff person to train and supervise the teens. She also brought in staff from StopWaste and the Public Market’s recycling haulers for a hands-on “trash training 101.” “We learned why it’s important to keep recyclables and compostables out of the garbage, and what happens to those materials after collection,” remembers 16-year-old Cha’Kesha Thompson.
After the orientation, the interns got to work. They conducted a survey of all vendors to inventory what take-out containers they were using, and to assess the amount and type of recyclable or compostable materials that still ended up in the garbage. Next, the students reached out to the vendors one-on-one to explain the recycling program and make compostable food service ware recommendations. Meanwhile, Shirk created customized signage for the recycling stations set up throughout the food court. “We wanted to make it as easy as possible for our customers to place their trash items in the correct containers. To achieve that, we tried to show on the signs what patrons might actually have on their trays,” she explains.
Even with excellent signage in place, the interns’ most challenging task was to help food court patrons sort their trash. “We were wearing Green Team t-shirts to identify us,” says Cha’Kesha. “Most people appreciated us helping them, only some were a little suspicious or even annoyed. But overall, it was fun to teach the customers how to sort their trash. I learned a lot!” The students’ hard work paid off: at the end of their internship, the amount of compostables collected at the Public Market had reached 170 tons. At a recognition event November 2010, TGM Partners was honored not only with a 2010 StopWaste Business Efficiency Award, but with a standing ovation. Susan Shirk sums up the experience: “For the environment and our community, this has been one of my most rewarding moments.”
Any company or organization in Emeryville can take advantage of the free assistance the StopWaste Business Partnership offers to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
