GRAS encourages kitchen-scrap composting on all levels; from the restaurant industry to personal kitchens. We aim to divert organic kitchen-scraps from going to a (not) local landfill, and back into our Central Valley's soils to fertilize farms and gardens. More INFO for Restaurant Procedures

GRAS Restaurant Composting Program w/ Atlas Disposal - GRAS restaurants are providing the finest compostable material to local farm Del Rio Botanicals,
Hot Italian' Earth Tub (to generate finished compost), certain Elementary School programs, and to Fremont Community Gardens.

We currently divert up to 1 ton of organic vegetable scrap to local farms and community gardens. Our 'closed loop' system returns the organic nutrients back to their very source aiming to make it self-sustaining.

We acknowledge all our partners: Atlas Disposal, Suzanne at Del Rio Botanicals, Hot Italian, and all the participating restaurants and their staff for support: Mulvaneys, Ella, The Waterboy, Grange, Tuli Bistro, One Speed, Selland's, the Crocker. : )

GRAS EVENTS
SACRAMENTO COMPOST AWARENESS WEEK!!!
In the first week in May. GRAS produces this event with Atlas Disposal, Hot Italian, and the City of Sacramento.

COMPOST RELEASE PARTY(S) - Fremont Community Gardens
As appropriate with release of Hot Italian's Earth Tub compost to public and FCG. Bocce!!!

GRAS AIMS
• Make routine the separation of the valuable organic scraps for all kitchen preparations: home and restaurant
• Train employees composting procedures
• Consider short-term / long-term options for compostables distribution
• Establish relationship with haulers, City and County, farms
GRAS is lobbying to get municipal composting in the City of Sacramento.

LOCAL
Atlas Disposal - Atlas Disposal is committed to being the best waste removal and recycling service provider in the greater Sacramento area.

Fremont Community Gardens - A Project of CADA

Del Rio Botanicals (Sacramento Bee) - From Seeds to Table

Humboldt Food Waste Digester - Project Summary (pdf)

START
Composting Awareness Week - Start your Pile.

Composting Plastics 101 - AN OVERVIEW OF COMPOSTABLE PLASTICS SPONSORED BY THE CALIFORNIA ORGANICS RECYCLING COUNCIL.

NEWS
SoCal Public Radio - Compost Startup Helps Restaurants Cut Costs The company's business model is to help restaurants be more eco-friendly -- and save money on trash removal.

SFGate - Not much trash talk over 'recycle or else'
More compliance in S.F., few complaints over law - 5/31/10

LINKS
City of Santa Barbara to debut new food scrap composting program on November 1. More Info

Jepson Prairie Organics - This is the place they take SF's compost just outside Dixon.

Alta Environmental Services - Associated with JPO and Norcal Waste.

Recology: Waste Zero - formerly know as Norcal Waste
SFSentinel (article) 5/1/09 - Recology Redefines the Waste Industry for Good

Atlanta's Zero Waste Zone - A great model for a progressive and sustainable Foodservice standard. From Atlanta's Green Foodservice Alliance.

Cedar Grove Composting - the Pacific Northwest's leading organic recycling company- grass, leaves, yard trimmings, foodwaste and wood waste into the finest nutrient-rich compost.

The Desert Sun (article) - Costco teams up with local businesses to turn green waste from Costco's Coachella Valley stores into high-grade organic fertilizer.

CCCSWA - Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority - Food Scraps Program

5/8/09. Mandatory Recycling May Come to SF - Mayor Newsom is pushing a law to make SF the first city to require recycling and composting. APM Marketplace (broadcast).

Sonoma Compost - Municipal Consulting

Sunset Scavengers - Norcal Waste West San Francisco branch
Posters, plans, etc. Great Composting Poster for Restaurants.

OregonLive.com - A guide to composting for down-to-earth cooks.

EPA - Food Scrap Resources - Organic Materials

Center for Ecology (CET) - ***A Municipal Toolkit - Composting in Restaurants in Schools, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). (PDF) Excellent Resourse***

EPA Food Scraps Information Links

Biogradeable Products Institute - Directory of Certified Compostable Products

BPI - Composting as a Waste Management Solution

Miramar Landfill (City of San Diego) - Compost, Mulch, and Wood Chips for Landscaping

Association for Organics Recycling - UK - s the United Kingdom's membership organisation committed to the sustainable management of biodegradable resources.

PARKS
Griffith Park Composting Facilities (City of LA) It is designed to compost the organic matter produced in the regional park. Maintenance crews collect dropped leaves, lawn clippings...

NYC: Compost/Mulchfest Parks and its nonprofit partners throughout the City make use of these extremely valuable natural resources. For example, at Central Park...

NYC: Central Park, The Mount Today, the Mount has found new life as the Central Park Conservancy’s compositing site.

Woodland Park Zoo Doo - Seattle Woodland Park Zoo Doo is the most exotic compost available in the Pacific Northwest. As a conservation organization, Woodland Park Zoo is committed to being a steward of the environment and providing this 100% recycled product to the public.

Extreme Recycling: Zoo Doo (LiveScience) In a perfect zoo there is Zoo Doo. Some zoos in the U.S. offer an exotic way to fertilize their gardens through a unique method of recycling waste from zoo animals.

LEFTOVERS TO LIGHTS
EPA Climate Showcase Communities Grant Specifics

PEDAL POWERED GRINDER
Pedal Powered Apple Grinder The pedal grinder is finally complete. Specs for V1. Pictures of V2.

Specs for Grinder Mechanism - Positron