Join the Kitchen Caddy Challenge!
We’re encouraging you to join the Kitchen Caddy Challenge!
Why a Kitchen Caddy Challenge?
For even a single day, setting aside the amount of organic food waste you produce in your kitchen into a portable caddy or bowl separate from the trash receptacle can be an eye-opening endeavor.
If you commonly throw organic waste such as food scraps or leftovers in the trash can, it’s commingled and you don’t really know how much is getting thrown away. Separating organic materials is a simple start to give you insight into how much waste you are generating.
Food waste makes a BIG impact!
‘Food Waste’ is defined as all food that was intended for human consumption that was removed from the human food chain for one reason or another. For the average U.S. household of four, food waste results in $1,866 in annual losses. This wasted food is not only a missed opportunity to feed people, but it also comes at a cost to the resources it took to produce. When food is wasted, the energy, water, and land it took to produce are also wasted. And on the back end, this disposed of food makes up 20% of our landfills and is the main cause of landfill-related greenhouse gasses.
We’ve all been there – forgetting the spinach in the back of the fridge drawer until it is shriveled beyond recognition. Instead of being quick to toss it into the trash, take a moment to think about the resources that would be wasted by doing so. While it may no longer be appetizing to eat, this spinach, or other unwanted food scraps, can have a second life as organic material in a compost pile, one day to return to the soil to fuel the growth of future veggies.
Knowledge informs actions and we’re in it together! Join in on the Kitchen Caddy Challenge to evaluate your food waste. Need a kitchen caddy? Order one from our online store for easy curbside pick-up. Be sure to take a photo and tag us @SolanaCenter to tell us what you’ve learned by taking on the challenge!
Solana Center is proud to work with a majority of jurisdictions in the San Diego region to help with organics green bin distribution and provide education on what goes where as both residents and businesses begin participating in this important program spurred by SB 1383 legislation.
At the start of summer 2021, EDCO distributed kitchen caddies and compostable paper food waste bags to all single-family home residential customers in Encinitas with the launch of the curbside organics recycling program and we were right there supporting from the education perspective. The caddies are designed to help you easily separate food scraps and other organic materials in the kitchen and transport them to your green bin, making it easier to divert these materials from your kitchen trash where they may have been going before.
We know that each household has its own daily groove and routines. The most important part of participating in the organic waste program is finding a way that works for you and your family! The following tips are shared by City of Encinitas staff and residents to demonstrate how they have been using their kitchen caddie to help divert organic waste from the landfill as well as maintenance tricks to keep your caddie smelling fresh and clean.
Using your kitchen caddie:
Keep your caddie in a convenient location in your kitchen, such as on the countertop, under the sink or in the fridge or freezer so that you can easily place leftover food scraps and food-soiled paper inside as you cook or clean up.
Empty the contents of your kitchen caddie into your green cart regularly – don’t wait to do it just when it’s full! “Our family has gotten into the habit of taking the kitchen caddie out with the recycling and trash the night before trash day as we set out the carts each week.”
Storing your caddie in the fridge or freezer is helpful to prevent fruit flies or odors.
Sprinkling baking soda inside your caddie on top of food waste helps mitigates any smells.
When you place your food waste in your green bin, cover it with yard waste to deter flies and trap odors.
Unsure what can and can’t go in your green bin? Take a look at page 2 of the City of Encinitas’ Organics Recycling guide!
Cleaning your kitchen caddie:
Regularly wash your caddie by hand with soap. “I’ve found that giving my kitchen caddie a rinse every time after dumping it into my green bin helps prevent mushy food build-up and any smells.”
Put your caddie in the dishwasher to wash along with other dishes.
Use the Bag to Earth paper bag liners provided or make a caddie liner out of newspaper or a brown bag. This helps make cleanup easier and absorbs excess moisture. Remember, NO compostable or biodegradable plastic bags or plastics bags can be added in your green waste bin!
Has your household found another process that helps you to save your scraps for organic recycling? Share it with us and help your neighbors get set up for success!
Need to purchase more Bag to Earth compostable liner bags? For a limited time, Solana Center is offering buy pack of bags get one pack FREE thanks to EDCO and City of Encinitas’ support. Order from our online store for pick up in Encinitas with this link: https://bit.ly/3u8lA9j. Additional bags can also be purchased at Seaside Market or online at bagtoearth.net. For further information on how to use your caddie, please visit https://san-diego.edcodisposal.com/resource-center/recycling-guide/.
