A new initiative with the University of Florida is taking shape as cities across the nation embrace composting as a sustainable solution to food waste. Mica McMillan, assistant professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, is partnering with the city of Deerfield Beach to spearhead a first-of-its-kind micro-composting initiative aimed at transforming urban food waste management.
This initiative introduces the public to ongoing, coordinated efforts to reduce food and landscape waste from entering the already-saturated landfills in South Florida and harnesses the potential to reuse organic waste. 鈥淪upported by a $400,000 grant awarded to Deerfield Beach from the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 (USDA) Composting and Food Waste Reduction program, this project is led by Hillary Silverstone, sustainability coordinator for the city, and represents a synergistic partnership between academic research, municipal leadership and private industry,鈥� said McMillan.
With UF/IFAS as a key research and education partner, the city is embarking on a project that blends science-based waste diversion strategies, community education and real-world data collection. Partnering with Dustin DuBois, owner and operator of Filthy Organics, and Jairo Gonzalez, president of Organics Recycling Foundation, the initiative will create a fully operational micro-composting facility on city-owned land. This facility will process organic waste within the city.
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Author: Lourdes Mederos, UF/IFAS Communications, WGCU