Dive summary:
- St. Cloud Hospital in Minnesota installed a system to grind and dehydrate its food waste into a nutrient-rich product it can feed to plants and flowers on hospital grounds.
- The project is the first of its kind in Minnesota but the idea is growing all over the U.S. in restaurants, hospitals and schools.
- According to the EPA, more than 34 million tons of food was wasted in 2010, more than any other material except paper, however only 3% was recovered and recycled.
From the article:
It starts as a blueberry pancake left on the tray of a recovering patient with no appetite for breakfast.
In 12 hours, it will become a dry, brown, dirt-like substance that can be mixed into the soil to help grow plants and flowers on the hospital grounds.
St. Cloud Hospital installed a system about four months ago to grind and dehydrate its food waste. It substantially reduces the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill, instead converting it to a nutrient-rich product beneficial to the environment. It's the first system of its kind in Minnesota and one of a small but growing number in the nation. ...
