There is a new movement underway in the Twin Cities… a movement to make dirt, not waste… and you can be a part of it! In addition to helping you compost at home in your backyard or with a worm bin, local waste-reduction nonprofit Eureka Recycling has launched a program to work with local restaurants, co-ops, farmers’ markets, and their customers like you to compost food scraps instead of wasting them. This means more opportunities to compost at home and on-the-go so you can reduce your waste, and therefore reduce your contribution to climate change.
For years, many metro area restaurants have carefully sourced their foods and considered the impacts of its production. In 2008 many turned their attention to the waste can, which is predominately full of food and paper-based food packaging. You may have asked yourself the same question: Where do your leftovers go? Many people believe that food scraps and paper products in a landfill are harmless because they biodegrade. However, when these materials break down in a landfill, they release powerful greenhouse gases. Likewise, when they are burned in incinerators they contribute to emissions and pollution.
Composting is not only an alternative to wasting our food scraps and non-recyclable papers (like napkins and paper cups); it creates nutrient-rich soil that is in high demand to replenish our exhausted soils and allows healthier food to grow. Composting reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides while greatly improving soil quality.
An updated (and growing) list of composting restaurants and food-related businesses is always available on Eureka Recycling’s new composting website: makedirtnotwaste.org. Whether you are at home or out on the town, you can now choose to make dirt, not waste!
Choose to eat at restaurants that compost!
Uptown
Barbette
Bryant Lake Bowl
Common Roots Café
Ecopolitan
Whole Foods Market, Lake Calhoun
South Minneapolis
Birchwood Café
Fireroast Mountain Café
Seward Co-op
Kings
Downtown Minneapolis
Gluek’s Restaurant & Bar
Mill City Farmers Market
Northeast Minneapolis
The Anchor Fish & Chips
Brasa
Chowgirls Killer Catering
Eastside Food Co-op
Red Stag Supper Club
Sen Yai Sen Lek