Respect for the land, the community, the environment and each other is what we truly believe in here. It’s what fuels our mission every day. And a big part of that respect that we value so much is being cognizant of how much waste we produce, and trying to reduce our impact on our surroundings. That’s why the concept of “zero waste” means so much to us.
What Is Zero Waste?
Zero waste is the simple idea that the way we currently consume and dispose of materials is not the best or only system for using the planet’s resources; EVERYTHING can be repurposed and reused. It’s like the old “Reduce-Recycle-Reuse” you learned in school, but taken to an even higher level.
Though it might feel like it, waste is not a natural part of the system. According to Jean Marc Simon, coordinator of Europe’s Zero Waste network, “Waste is an ineffeciency in the system.” In this talk that Simon gives, he explains what zero waste is and what we can do to make it happen.
Watch the video, it is truly inspiring!
Simon asks a lot of good questions, like what do we mean when we way “throw away”? Where is “away” anyway? The truth is, waste never actually goes away. He also says:
- Working toward zero waste is absolutely necessary: in the past 100 years, people have created more waste than in the rest of human history put together.
- Zero waste is achievable! 80% of our waste is already compostable, recyclable or reusable. Really! Check out the breakdown:
Cities like Cappanori, Italy, have successfully implemented zero waste initiatives. In just one year, the city leapt from 30% of their waste being recycled to over 70% just by changing their collection methods. (30%, by the way, is the current recycling rate of Albuquerque – lots of room for improvement!)
Thoughts in Action
It’s clear why thinking about zero waste is really important to us. So what are we doing about it?
Composting!
Composting is a big part of the zero waste picture. At Farm & Table, we have two different types of compost. First, we save all our easily compostable materials, like eggshells, coffee grounds, and flower clippings, and give them to Farmer Ric to use at Sol Harvest. But then we also save all the rest of our organic waste – from order tickets to table scraps – for Soilutions, a local commercial composting facility. Soilutions sells their compost through wholesale and retail throughout the state, and they can also compost all kinds of things you wouldn’t normally think could be composted. They provide a wonderful service to the city and we are very proud of our partnership with them. Here’s a list of other businesses that also use Soilutions’ services. Check it out and support these eco-minded businesses.
Also, John Shanski of Soilutions is working on an exciting new project: a business that will provide consultation, infrastructure and collection services to other businesses in Albuquerque that want to go zero waste, as well as information and education services to the public. How wonderful! You can find them on Facebook here.
Recycling and Re-Using.
Of course we separate and recycle everything that can be recycled, and we’re also all about fidning ways to repurpose and re-use things that would otherwise get thown out. Take our huitlacoche: we’ve finally found a local supplier, and now we get this “Mexican Truffle” from corn that would otherwise be thrown away before the fungus infects the rest of the crop.
Or our pork belly. The meat that we use for our appetizer plate usually gets tossed after the other cuts of meat are sold. And that’s exactly why we use it! By buying these “left-over” delicious, decadent cuts of pork from our local vendor, Kyzer Farms, we help make sure none of the pig is wasted.
Awareness
We are always on the lookout for new ideas and more ways to reduce the impact of our waste. One project that really intrigues us is repurposing the glass bottles that the restaurant goes through as drinking glasses – we hope someday to find a feasible way to make that happen. What do you think? What are some ways you think Albuquerque businesses can work towards a goal of zero waste?