Alchemy on the Plains…
Cascading benefits from a Homegrown Food Waste Composting System
Join Stan Slaughter from Missouri Organics as he talks about his experience remanaging organics out of landfills on a regional scale. Learn how you can apply similar methods to your own town or region while taking advantage of funding from the bipartisan infrastructure act to make it happen. Interested?
Join us! September 19, 2023, 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern. 90 Minutes
In 2020, the EPA began the program called 50 by 30 which promotes the concept that we can increase recycling rates across the nation to 50 percent by the year 2030. A few cities and municipalities have already attained these goals, but across the country, most are still working toward it. The goal is entirely attainable for one simple reason. About half what goes into the landfill is compostable organics. All we have to do is divert those compostable organics to other uses. In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal was laid out. It’s just recently been enacted into law. In the Guidebook for this law, compostable organics are addressed as an area to fund. Because compostables are the easiest thing to divert from landfills, that’s a fantastic way to start. Doing so can reduce our methane emissions by 18%, an easy diversion of a climate warming gas so that we can create compost or feed those in need. There are so many other ways that diverting organics can be commodified, and some of them are methods that the Infrastructure Act covers. It’s only three years since 2020. Let’s make this happen by 2030!
Featured Speaker: About Stan
Stan was among the activists who first envisioned a regional food system for the KC region in the mid ‘80’s. When the Farmer’s Expo started in the 90’s he was the logical choice to provide entertainment which he has done more that 20 times over the years. Because of his background as an award-winning science teacher and a ‘60’s rocker, Stan became a full-time compost and recycling musical educator in the early 90’s. Over 30 years later he’s still going, working as Director of Education and Outreach for Missouri Organic Recycling. He’s received a score of local, regional, state and national awards. His career has taken him all over North America, to over 4,000 public appearances such as schools, concerts and speeches, to several foreign countries and in 2016 to England for a speech at the invitation of HRH Prince Charles.
Other Speakers:
Sean Potts with the USDA Office of Agriculture and Innovative Production will also be presenting an “Intro to Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements.”
Gary Liss has been leading the Recycling Is Infrastructure Too Campaign of Zero Waste USA, National Recycling Coalition and the Institute for Local Self Reliance. He will highlight information about other federal grant programs that are now available to help fund food waste reduction, composting and anaerobic digestion programs.
Our Moderator: About Neil
Neil Seldman has been a Zero Waste and anti incineration campaigner for over 50 years. He is co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 1973, National Recycling Coalition, 1980, Zero Waste USA, 1996, and the Save the Albatross Coalition, 2016.
- Moderator: Neil Seldman
- Featured Speaker: Stan Slaughter
- Also Speaking: Sean Potts, Gary Liss
- Organized by: Rick Anthony, Chris Sparnicht
