Sign-ups for the city’s new commercial food scraps recycling program have been slower than expected, and the start date for the pilot project has been pushed back to April 28.

Davis businesses that participate will be able to take all of the plate scrapings, fruit and vegetable trimmings, coffee grinds and filters, tea bags and food-soiled paper that they produce and set it aside in carts provided by Davis Waste Removal. DWR will empty the carts twice a week and take the materials to a composting facility.

“Currently, we do not have enough businesses signed up for the program to begin,” Jennifer Gilbert, the city’s conservation coordinator, said in a news release. “There was, and still is, a strong interest from local restaurant owners for this program, but we have not reached the minimum number of participants to move forward with the program.”

The pilot project originally was scheduled to begin March 1.

Interested businesses are asked to call DWR at (530) 756-4646 to sign a subscription card and be enrolled in the pilot project. The deadline for sign-ups is April 28.

More information will be available at a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, at the Hallmark Inn, 110 F St. in downtown Davis. John Geisler of DWR will be present to answer questions. Businesses will have the opportunity to sign up during or after the meeting.

“At this point, we cannot extend this program to residential customers; it is only for businesses,” Gilbert said. “If you are interested in seeing this program succeed, please encourage your favorite restaurants and grocery stores to participate.”

Participants thus far are Caffé Italia, Dos Coyotes (Marketplace and Oakshade Town Center), Davis Food Co-op, The Mustard Seed, the Davis Farmers Market, Hallmark Inn, Seasons, Blue Oak Energy and Ciocolat.

“Businesses, primarily restaurants, are the biggest generators of organic waste in the city of Davis,” said Dean Newberry, chairman of the Davis Natural Resources Commission. “This commercial organic waste diversion pilot project is an important step toward meeting our environmental goals.”

To qualify for the program,a business must be located in Davis and must produce approximately 130 gallons of food scraps each week.

“This is enough food scraps to fill a 65-gallon food scrap cart twice a week,” Gilbert said. “To put it into perspective, the recycling carts that businesses have for paper and recyclable containers are 96 gallons. The food scrap carts are smaller.”

The 65-gallon food scraps carts that DWR will deliver to pilot participants will cost the same as a regular trash cart.

“The cost has been one of the biggest challenges for this program,” Gilbert said. “The unfortunate fact is that it’s just as expensive to send this material to be composted as it is to send it to the landfill.”

Some businesses may be able to save money with this program, she said. For others, their cost will be neutral and for still others, there may be an added expense. The cost depends on the type and frequency of current garbage service, Gilbert explained.

For maximum savings on trash disposal, all recyclables should be placed in the recycling carts and not the trash bin. Businesses can request a free waste assessment from city recycling program staff members to ensure that as much material as possible is being diverted from the trash by recycling and composting.

“Once all paper, containers, cardboard and food scraps are removed from the trash, there is usually not much left to throw away,” Gilbert said.

For more information, contact Gilbert at (530) 757-5688 or [email protected], or visit http://www.cityofdavis.org/pw. Click on the link for the commercial food scraps pilot program to see posters, a training video and a guide on setting up such a collection program at your business.

food scraps recyclingW

Food scrap carts like this one will be used as part of the city of Davis’ new commercial food scrap collection pilot program. Richard Tsai/Courtesy photo

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