ICAW 2025 poster designed by Abbie Sawyer from Athens, Georgia. Abbie is an artist, nature enthusiast, and Compost Education Specialist for the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department.
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is celebrated annually during the first full week of May and is a time to learn more about composting organic wastes (e.g., landscape wastes and food scraps) as part of fostering healthier soil and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A theme is chosen for ICAW in the US each year, and the theme becomes the focus of a poster contest, in which artists age 14 and older from around the world compete. The image above is the winning design for 2025, created by Abbie Sawyer from Georgia.
This year’s theme is “Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!” As explained on the Compost Research & Education Foundation website, “This theme was chosen with the goal of highlighting composting in all kinds of communities at any scale – from the backyard home composter to community composters, to large-scale facilities to all those who recognize the many benefits of using compost on our soils. As has been done for the past several years, the theme was chosen by all of the international partners who are part of the International Compost Alliance – making it truly an international theme. This year’s theme was inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”*
Composting reduces methane emissions through aerobic managed decomposition, providing for a more sustainable community.
Composting lowers greenhouse gases by improving carbon sequestration in the soil. Getting the carbon back into the soil serves as a “carbon bank,” helping to store carbon thereby removing it from the atmosphere.
Compost provides essential nutrients for plants, promoting vibrant gardens and farms. Healthier soil leads to healthier, more nutritious food for our communities.
Compost use increases the water-holding capacity of our soils. This is important as our communities are more and more often seeing drought and or intense rain events causing soil runoff and erosion.
Community Gardens and Green Spaces: Compost plays a vital role in community gardens, fostering green spaces that provide fresh produce, recreational opportunities, and community gathering places.
Illinois will be hosting over 50 in-person and virtual events during ICAW in over 12 counties. To see a full list of events and find registration information for those that are vitual, check out the IFSCC ICAW 2025 webpage: https://illinoiscomposts.org/icaw-2025/.
If you’re interested in hosting your own ICAW event, check out the IFSCC’s ICAW Host Toolkit, which includes:
tabling signage,
resources for libraries,
a list of relevant children’s books,
resources for park districts,
social media resources,
activities for kids,
a guide for hosting a “compost giveback” event (aka a “compost giveaway” or a “bring your own bucket” event),
a link to a spreadsheet of food scrap municipal composting programs and drop-off locations, and
a link to IFSCC’s guide for where to buy finished compost in IL. (Note that this only includes IFSCC member organizations that are compost manufacturing facilities. If you don’t see a site near you, do an Internet search or consult your county solid waste agency or recycling coordinator for guidance.)
The US EPA estimates that in 2019 alone, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60%) was sent to landfills. Food Waste Prevention Week (FWPW) is a collaborative effort to raise awareness about food waste and its negative impacts on our society and environment, while also sharing resources to help individuals, families, and organizations reduce their food waste. Because the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Zero Waste team has experience working on food waste reduction and management projects, ISTC is proud to be a FWPW partner organization for the third year in a row!
Be sure to check ISTC’s social media platforms during April 7-13, for highlights of relevant projects, as well as facts and resources to help you on your food waste reduction journey. If you’re not already following us on social media, you can connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
How do I get involved?
The FWPW website provides a wealth of information to help various sectors with food waste prevention efforts, including descriptions of webinars presented by partners across the country. Here are just a few suggestions for relevant activities and webinars, arranged by sector, including links to ISTC and partner organization resources, as well as links to appropriate sections of the FWPW website for further information and inspiration. Links to specific programs or services are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements by ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Colleges & Universities
Host a “Weigh your Waste” event to get students involved and to illustrate the magnitude of food waste generated. Uneaten food from student trays from a single meal period is collected, weighed, and put on display. This offers opportunities for discussion around the causes of waste and encourages students to brainstorm ideas for reduction. See this case study from Chapman University for inspiration.
Promote your campus chapter of the Food Recovery Network (FRN), or consider forming one if your campus is not yet participating. FRN is a non-profit that unites students with businesses and other community partners to recover perishable food and fight hunger while simultaneously fighting waste.
Register for these webinars (and check the FWPW webinar page regularly for addition of similar events):
Check out the NRDC Food Matters Beginner’s Guide. The NRDC Food Matters project partners with cities to achieve meaningful reductions in food waste through comprehensive policies and programs. This guide introduces policymakers, agency staff, and activists to the project and provides resources related to food waste reduction and communication strategies, as well as case studies from successful initiatives in partner cities.
Use the NRDC Guide to Making a Public Commitment on Food Waste. This can be a way to harness local leadership and constituent buy-in, while increasing accountability, and helping your city serve as inspiration for peers in other locations.
Register for these webinars (and check the FWPW webinar page regularly for addition of similar events):
See this page for additional information for restaurants.
Individuals & Families
Explore the resources at Savethefood.com, including recipes to use up ingredients and leftovers, storage tips to keep food fresh longer, a tool to estimate the amount of food you’ll need for a certain number of guests, and other planning suggestions.
Register for these webinars (and check the FWPW webinar page regularly for addition of similar events):
Photo by onephoto for Adobe Stock Images, Education License – University of Illinois
Uncover cost-saving and efficiency opportunities for your food-focused business! The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), units of the University of Illinois, areproviding free technical assistance to 10 small for and/or non-profit entities, such as restaurants, grocers, and other food-focused businesses and organizations in DuPage and Kane Counties in Illinois. By getting assessed, businesses can lower operational costs, reduce wasted food & resources, and attract environmentally-conscious customers.
Assessments will focus on helping entities reduce costs and/or reduce environmental impacts through pollution prevention, energy efficiency, water reduction, alternatives to hazardous chemicals, and waste reduction including purchasing and disposal.
What will the process look like?
Step 1: Initial conversation. This will take the form of a brief introductory phone call to discuss the assessment process and expectations. There will also be discussion of utility data collection. (Participant time commitment: 30 minutes)
Step 2: Pre-Assessment Data Collection & Analysis. The participating business will share utility billing data as available. Providing this information helps our team quantify savings opportunities found on-site. (Participant time commitment: 30 minutes)
Step 3: Facility Walkthrough. On-site visit to discuss and tour the facility to review current conditions of the facility including infrastructure and operational processes. Identify sustainability opportunities for cost and resource savings. (Participant time commitment: 1 hour)
Step 4: Providing Recommendations & Resources. ISTC and SEDAC will use data and information from previous steps to develop strategies to reduce costs and/or reduce environmental impact. Recommendations and resources will be shared with the participating business via a written report and presentation with Q&A. (Participant time commitment: 1 hour)
Step 5: Implementation. ISTC and SEDAC will assist businesses that are interested in implementing recommended strategies. Implementation assistance includes further guidance on equipment and/or process upgrades, as well as connecting to incentive or funding opportunities. (Participant time commitment will vary.)
Step 6: Case Study (Optional). A case study will be developed to showcase opportunities uncovered and strategies implemented. (This step is optional. If you decide to share your experiences with peers and customers, your time commitment will be approximately 1 hour to review drafts and provide feedback/approval.)
Participants will be selected on a rolling basis and ISTC and SEDAC will work with participants upon selection until December 2026. Questions can be directed to Zach Samaras at zsamaras@illinois.edu.
This opportunity is made possible by a grant from US EPA Region 5.
Photo by smirart for Adobe Stock Images (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Note that ISTC does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, any manufacturer, vendor, product, or service. Mentions of specific products or businesses below are provided for informational reference only.
The International Day of Zero Waste, observed on March 30th annually, was established through UN General Assembly Resolution 77/161 and is jointly facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The day highlights the importance of waste reduction, sustainable materials management, and responsible consumption and production as part of sustainable development.
This year’s theme and why it matters
This year’s theme is “Towards zero waste in fashion and textiles.” According to the non-profit organization Global Fashion Agenda, 92 million tonnes of textile waste are produced globally each year. (Note that a “tonne” or metric tonne is equal to 2,204.6 lbs., as opposed to a “ton,” a.k.a. short ton, which is equal to 2000 lbs.) In 2018, the U.S. EPA found that nearly 17 million tons of textile waste were generated nationwide, with 11.3 million of those tons going to landfills (3.2 million tons were combusted). According to the Illinois Materials Management Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly (2021), 279,188 tons of clothing were disposed of in Illinois landfills in 2018, along with 235,523 tons of “other textiles.” In its 2017 report A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation stated that between 2000 and 2015, global clothing production doubled while the duration of garment use decreased by 36 percent. So-called “fast fashion,” defined by Merriam-Webster as “an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers,” tends to involve production of less durable items that wear out quickly, contributing to this trend of high production rates and shorter periods of use.
Further, it is estimated that over 15,000 chemicals are used in textile manufacturing processes, some of which are toxic or prone to persistence in the environment (Roos, et al, 2019). Textile manufacturing also uses lots of water and is responsible for massive greenhouse gas emissions. Given the variety of textiles produced, and with some being natural and others synthetic, it’s hard to characterize the total amount of water used for, and emissions resulting from, all textile production worldwide. Considering a cotton t-shirt as an example, a frequently cited article from the Spring 2014 edition of World Wildlife Magazine claims it takes 713 gallons (2700 liters) of water to produce one cotton t-shirt. Mayer and Birkocak (2024) estimate the textile and apparel industry accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Suffice it to say, due to the massive amounts of resources involved in the production of textiles, the potential for pollution from the manufacture and use of textiles, and the amount of textile waste filling dwindling landfill space, anything we can do to reduce waste associated with textiles is important.
Ideas for positive action
While the potential negative impacts associated with textiles seem daunting, there are several things that individuals can do to prevent textile waste and manage them more responsibly at their end-of-life. Here are a few suggestions to consider.
Invest in more durable items. The upfront cost may be higher, but reducing the need to replace worn out items can make that worthwhile in the long run. Check out Good on You’s guide to choosing clothes that last.
When possible, buy secondhand clothing from thrift stores, consignment shops, or similar outlets. You might get lucky and find some deeply discounted, high-quality items that wound up at a thrift store precisely because they were made to last! In any event, keeping wearable clothing in use longer conserves the resources invested in their creation. If you have items that are still wearable but no longer wanted, consider donating or consigning them at relevant local charities or shops.
Repairing your clothing and textiles, rather than replacing them when seams rip or holes begin, is another strategy to conserve natural and financial resources. If you’re not handy with needle and thread, connect with friends or family who are, or support the local economy by taking items to an alteration shop or shoe repair service in your area. You can also do an Internet search for a local Repair Café, Fixit Clinic, or similar gathering where others might help you fix your items. You might also look for no-sew options using iron-on patches, fabric glue, or shoe glue (Shoe Goo is a popular brand of the latter, available in many hardware or “big box” stores; though typically used to repair soles that are separating from uppers, the Shoe Goo website notes that it can also be used for other repairs, such as fixing holes in backpacks). Marissa Elena’s Simple Ways To Mend Your Clothing Without A Sewing Machine is a good resource with embedded videos for illustration.
Wash your clothing less frequently and use cold water when you do. Unless you’ve sweat profusely or been doing a particularly dirty job, your outer garments might be able to be aired out and worn at least one additional time before getting tossed in the laundry basket. Washing less often will reduce wear and tear on your clothing and reduce your chores as a bonus. Check out Real Simple’s guide on how frequently to wash various types of clothing. And Don’t Bother Using Hot Water to Wash Your Laundry from Consumer Reports should set your mind at ease about the efficacy of cold water, which means less energy used during washing.
Reuse your textiles for crafts or cleaning rags. Some people enjoy making quilts or rag rugs from fabrics reclaimed from old clothes, or even tote bags or hot pads. See 9 Ways to Make a Rag Rug you’ll Want to Try! for some inspiration. If you’re not crafty, consider repurposing your castoffs into cleaning rags you can launder after use—an option that will also help you reduce your use of disposable items like paper towels. Some textiles are of appropriate size to use as rags as-is (e.g., an old washcloth or cloth diaper), but if you want to cut old shirts or pants down to size, use pinking shears to reduce fraying.
Recycle textiles that are not suitable for donation that can’t be repurposed in your own home. Check city, county, or local non-profit websites for “where to recycle it” guides, or do an Internet search to find recycling options near you. If you’re not sure which agency to contact in your area, reach out to the Illinois Recycling Foundation for guidance. Textiles collected for recycling might be turned into industrial rags, insulation or other construction materials, or carpet padding, among other items. Like more traditional recyclables, textiles should be seen as resources that don’t belong in landfills.
If you’re already doing some of the things suggested above, great! If it’s all new to you, don’t try to tackle everything at once. Choose one or two suggestions that fit well with your situation and circumstances and try them out. Talk to friends and family about your successes, and any challenges you encounter. They might help you overcome barriers and you just might inspire them to fight waste too! Don’t focus on trying to be perfect–you’re human, after all. If you try too many new things at once, or get too wrapped up in doing the exact “right thing,” you may become overwhelmed and either never start your new habit, or start and quickly give up. Every small step you take to reduce waste matters. If you’ve read through this whole post, congratulations–you’ve taken the first step toward sustainable behavior by being open to new practices!
More ways to get involved in waste reduction
Visit the UNEP website and click on “Events” to find Zero Waste Day events near you, or to add your own event to their map!
As Valentine’s Day approaches, purchases of flowers increase. Whether for a holiday gift, special occasion, or other celebration, most of us will buy bouquets or flower arrangements at some point. But have you considered sustainable options or the best way to manage bouquets after they fade?
Note that links to products, programs, or vendors below are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements by ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Why it matters
When you think about the economic impacts of agriculture, you’re likely to consider crops used to feed humans or other animals. But floriculture is also “big business.” The USDA defines floriculture as “that branch of horticulture dealing with the production of field-grown or greenhouse-grown plants for their flowers or showy leaves.”According to the US Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS), in 2023 (the year with the most recently published data), floriculture sales in IL totaled $134,063,000. For the same year, the Society of American Florists, reports total spending nationwide on floral products (flowers, seeds, and potted plants) was $72.8 billion.
Clearly, buying and selling flowers has a huge impact on carbon emissions just from the perspective of product distribution. Imported blooms are flown thousands of miles and once they reach US soil, they might still end up being trucked for many more miles before reaching a retail location. Beyond the fuel used for transportation, refrigeration is often required along the way to keep blooms fresh.
Like any other agricultural operation, floriculture involves the use of a lot of resources (e.g. land, water, labor, etc.) and the application of a variety of chemicals that may have negative impacts on human and environmental health. A recent review of pesticides in flower production identified 201 different compounds used, 93 of which are banned by the European Union (Pereira et al., 2021).
So, although we tend to focus on aesthetics when picking the flowers we buy, attending to any available information on the source and production practices matters greatly if we care about environmental sustainability. It’s also worth considering the impacts of any packaging involved, which might be destined for the landfill if it can’t be reused, recycled, or composted. Because of the resource use embodied in them, it pays to consider keeping ornamental flowers and plants vibrant and in use for as long as possible, and when they are genuinely wilted and no longer lovely, we should try to keep them out of landfills if possible through composting. When plant material and wasted food (collectively called “organics”) break down in landfills without oxygen present (i.e., in anaerobic conditions), methane, a greenhouse gas is produced. The US EPA reports that municipal solid waste landfills are the third largest source of human-related methane emissions in the US, accounting for approximately 14% of methane emissions in 2022.
Better options
So how can you reduce the negative impacts of the flowers you buy?
Buy locally grown flowers whenever possible. If purchasing at a florist, grocery store, or large retail outlet, look for posted information on the source of the product or ask staff for more information. Depending on your location, time of year, and the intended use for your flowers, you may be able to get what you need from a farmer’s market or directly from a farm. This gives you the opportunity to meet the grower and ask questions about their operation. Buying local also supports the local economy and populations of pollinators, depending on the amount of shelter used in production (i.e. open fields, greenhouses, etc.). And of course, you’ll greatly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions involved in distribution. According to the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG), local flowers also tend to be of a wider variety, will last longer because they’ve traveled a shorter distance to you, and may smell better, because they are less likely to have been bred for uniformity, a practice that may compromise natural fragrance. If you don’t already have a farmer’s market or other favorite source for local flowers, the following resources will help you find them:
IL Specialty Growers Association Live Local Shop Local Map: https://www.specialtygrowers.org/shoplocal.html. There are a few different ways to search. Either select “Floriculture” from the “Products” drop-down menu OR “Cut Flowers” from the “Product Attribute” drop-down menu OR type “flowers” or “cut flowers” into the search bar.
If you can’t find locally grown, look for sustainably grown options. This might mean using an online service that sources sustainably grown flowers or looking for certified products in shops. Links related to certification programs below will allow you to dive into the details of the program standards if you wish.
ReVased: https://www.revased.com/. This company began in 2019 with a focus on “upcycling” flowers from events (more on that below), selling a portion and donating a portion of these reclaimed arrangements. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused events to temporarily be put on hold, they shifted gears and now primarily offer online orders of sustainably grown flowers and plants. From their website: ‘We are proud to source our flowers from high-quality, sustainable-minded farms in both the U.S. and South America. The flower farms we work with have achieved Rainforest Alliance Certification, Fairtrade Certification, or take other steps for environmental, economic, and social sustainability. This includes protecting forests and natural wildlife habitats; promoting farmers’ human rights and safe, decent working conditions; conserving water and soil; and helping to lessen the burden of the climate crisis. We are lucky to work with amazing farm partners who meet these rigorous standards of excellence! We also ship “farm-direct.” This eco-friendly shipping method reduces carbon emissions by bypassing many stops in the traditional floral supply chain and reducing the total number of stems being cut, as every cut stem is meant for a customer! Additionally, we offset emissions from our shipments to neutralize our shipping footprint and make our shipments carbon neutral.’
Fair Trade Certification: https://www.fairtradecertified.org/what-we-do/what-we-certify/floral/. Fair Trade certified products comply with standards to safeguard working environments and conditions, living wages and benefits, and to eliminate poverty and forced labor. Check the packaging on products or signage at your florist or other retailer for an emblem from Fair Trade USA or Fair Trade International. According to the Fair Trade USA website, you can find certified flowers at Sam’s Club and Whole Foods.
VerifloraSustainably Grown: https://www.scsglobalservices.com/services/veriflora-certified-sustainably-grown. “This third-party certification assures buyers and consumers that cut flowers and potted plants have been produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way, with practices that achieve the highest level of product quality.” This is part of the SCS Global Services suite of third-party certifications, so look for an emblem with the SCS green hummingbird logo and the words “Sustainably Grown Certified.” Veriflora products are available through various florists and supermarkets, so check with your local shops.
Organic: While it is possible to find flowers with USDA Organic certification, this tends to be used for edible flowers or those used for tea. Many growers will follow organic principles without going through the formal certification process, which is why buying local is great if feasible, because it allows you ask questions and learn more about the production process.
If you’ve bought flowers for an event, when your festivities are done, there’s no reason to send those blooms to the landfill. Explore donation of arrangements that still look lovely, and composting when those flowers have truly faded.
ReVased: https://www.revased.com/pages/non-profit-floral-directory. As noted above, this company started out by rescuing flowers from events to rehome them. Since the pandemic their focus is more on online sales, but they have started directory of non-profit organization that can accept donated flowers. Currently, all the IL entries are in the greater Chicago area/northern IL. You can also reach out to them at hi@revased.com for assistance in finding organizations to accept floral donation, but bear in mind their capacity for this is currently limited.
Repeat Roses: https://repeatroses.com/. This company works nationwide and will be hands-on, collecting flowers after an event and delivering them to organizations to which they’re being donated. Where commercial composting facilities exist, they can also pick up donated flowers once they’re truly withered and deliver them to the composting facility. According to their website, “Some locations will offer only limited composting sites within reasonable driving distances. For those locations, we will explore alternatives to ensure we divert flowers from landfills.” In order to have this level of service, you’ll need to plan far in advance. “Four to six months is ideal to secure your date to ensure you are on our pickup schedule. The earlier you decide to reserve your date on the calendar, the more time we have to coordinate with your florist and venue. Often, it is easier for your florist to know of your plans to donate your flowers in advance so they can design your arrangements with this information in mind as it relates to vase/container rentals and arrangement structure. Additional fees may apply to events booked with limited notice.”
Reach out directly to local organizations that may accept donated flowers. If you are planning an event that includes flowers, reach out in advance to local women’s shelters, nursing homes, hospitals, senior services, or cancer support non-profits to see if they could reuse your blooms and work with them, friends, or family on transportation of donations.
Compost. Check the Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition (IFSCC) website list of commercial compost haulers and processors or for tips on composting at home if you’ve got the space and the interest and you’re dealing with a bouquet or two rather than lots of flowers from an event.
Preserve your blooms. If your flowers have sentimental value, consider preserving them. Check out HGTV’s guidance on various methods for drying, pressing, or using resin to create keepsakes.
Photo by Stephen Ausmus. Image Number D1830-30, USDA Agricultural Research Service.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are seeking public input on food date labeling. This Request for Information seeks information on industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling, and any impact date labeling may have on food waste.
From the Federal Register:
“On June 12, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration released the final National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics (the National Strategy). The National Strategy lays out a path for the U.S. to meet its national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in 2019, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60 percent) was sent to landfills. An additional 40 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food and beverage manufacturing and processing sectors. Wasted food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills. Wasted wholesome and safe food represents nourishment that could have helped feed families in need. Additionally, water, energy, arable land, and labor used to produce wasted food could have been used for other purposes. Effectively reducing food waste will require cooperation among federal, state, tribal, territory, and local governments, food manufacturers, agriculture producers, faith-based institutions, environmental organizations, communities, and others, all along the entire supply chain.
In response to the draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, FSIS and FDA received comments encouraging an update of the Federal date labeling requirements, including standardizing date labeling. Commenters noted that food manufacturers use a variety of phrases such as “Sell By,” “Use By,” and “Best By” on product labels to describe dates on a voluntary basis. According to commenters, the use of different phrases to describe dates may cause consumer confusion and lead to the premature disposal of wholesome and safe food, because it is past the date printed on the package.
As explained in the final National Strategy, both FSIS and FDA recommend that food industry members voluntarily apply the “Best if Used By” food date label, which notes the date after which quality may decline but the product may still be consumed. The “Best if Used By” label aims to lessen consumer confusion and reduce wasted food. In addition, the “Best if Used By” label was the most frequently perceived by consumers as communicating quality, among the food date labels assessed by researchers at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF), which supports standardizing this label. Although FSIS and FDA encourage the use of the phrase “Best if Used By”, current federal regulations do not prohibit industry from using other date labeling phrases, such as “Sell By” or “Use By,” if they are truthful and not misleading. It should be noted that industry groups have taken steps to address consumer confusion. However, the number, diversity, and complexity of food products in the marketplace along with significant variability in the environmental, storage, and distribution conditions of food create challenges for standardization of food safety or quality date labels.
FSIS and FDA are requesting additional information on industry practices and barriers for standardizing food date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of food date labeling, and any impact date labeling may have on food loss and waste. The information may be used to inform future policy decisions, guidance, or consumer education campaigns on food date labels intended to help reduce the premature discard of wholesome and safe food. Commenters should provide any data, studies, or other evidence that supports their response.”
See 89 FR 96205for full details, including questions for commenters. Comments must be submitted by February 3, 2025.
Submit comments by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website allows commenters to type short comments directly into the comment field on the web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments.
Mail:Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Hand- or Courier-Delivered Submittals:Deliver to 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 350-E, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
Did you know that IL leads the nation in the production of pumpkins? You may not realize it, but pumpkins are mostly water! A great deal of labor, land, water, and other resources are invested in growing, harvesting, distributing, and processing pumpkins in our state, so if you care about conserving resources, it’s scary to think about how many pumpkins end up in landfills once Halloween has passed.
After the neighborhood kids have finished collecting their treats, some folks leave their pumpkins out for squirrels and other wildlife to feed on. Others may have a backyard compost pile for returning jack-o-lanterns to the soil. If you’re not lucky enough to have the space or time to create your own compost, many cities and towns throughout IL host collection events in early November for composting decorative pumpkins. Such an event is called a “Pumpkin Smash.” Some collections may involve fun activities in which people can literally “smash” their pumpkins by throwing them into a designated dumpster or compost heap. SCARCE and the cities of Wheaton and Elmhurst hosted the state’s first pumpkin collections in 2014, diverting over 9.31 tons of pumpkins from landfills and helping to improve composting laws in Illinois. By 2023, Pumpkin Smashes were being held at over 95 sites in IL and beyond, and in that year over 241 tons of pumpkins were composted!
If you’re interested in coordinating a Pumpkin Smash in your community, SCARCE has just released an updated how-to guide for pumpkin collections, available for free on their website. The revised guide includes tips for on-site composting at community gardens and small farms. This option is great for areas of the state without access to a commercial compost processing site that will accept food scraps.
The main Pumpkin Smash page on the SCARCE site provides other resources including diversion statistics from last year, downloadable promotional materials to help spread the word about your local event, a link to register your Pumpkin Smash site, and a map to help you find Smashes in your area. Visit https://www.scarce.org/pumpkins/ and keep scrolling to find these resources. Note that there are two “official” dates for Pumpkin Smashes this year–Saturday, November 2, and Saturday, November 9.
Other festive ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle
Please note that links and/or mentions of organizations or businesses are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements by the Technical Assistance Program, ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois.
Clementine Jack-o’-lanterns. They’re healthier than candy treats, come in their own compostable “package,” are easy to decorate, and are just the right size for small hands!
Costume reuse. Many of us have checked thrift stores for reused costumes or costume elements, and parents of multiple kids know the beauty of hand-me-downs. But did you know that the second Saturday in October is National Costume Swap Day? Make plans to check online for costume swaps in your area next year, or consider organizing your own event. Alternatively, The Halloween Helpersis a non-profit organization that provides gently used costumes to other non-profit agencies that serve children. Check out their website for information on hosting or participating in a costume drive. A similar group, ‘WEEN Dream, is a non-profit that gives free Halloween costumes to children in need. See their website for information on donating your old costumes or applying for costumes in future years.
Fight “energy vampires.” This doesn’t involve garlic or wooden stakes–just unplugging certain devices when they’re not in use to save resources.
In a previous post, we noted that September 16-20, 2024 is Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, and highlighted some relevant projects of the ISTC Technical Assistance Program (TAP). To conclude the week, we’ve compiled some video resources that may be of interest, whether you’re unfamiliar with “pollution prevention” or a seasoned practitioner.
“Pollution prevention,” also known as “source reduction,” is any action that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source before recycling, treatment, or disposal. While the term may at first evoke images of smokestacks spewing dirty clouds into the sky or pipes discharging visibly dirty liquids into waterways, P2 is not just for industrial facilities. We all use natural resources, and we all encounter materials at work, regardless of the sector we work within, or in our schools or homes that may cause harm to human or environmental health. So we all have opportunities to use raw materials, water, energy, and other resources more efficiently, or to substitute less harmful substances for hazardous ones. The old proverb, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” rings true in terms of protecting human and environmental health, as well as strengthening our economic well-being.
Pollution Prevention Playlist (8 videos) from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). This includes an explanation of the circular economy; tips for individuals such as donating goods, using reclaimed building materials, composting, and xeriscaping; and housekeeping tips for auto shops.
Pollution Prevention (P2) Mini-Webinar Series(5 brief videos per year). Each year the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) produces a short video for each day of P2 Week. For 2024, videos include “Waste Hierarchies” presenting different strategies for managing waste, “Coffee Machines,” focused on an easy way to save energy, “Conductivity Probes,” focused on saving water in industrial settings, “Anesthetic Gases” on a surprising source of greenhouse gas emissions in healthcare settings, and “About MnTAP” introducing the organization and its services. Be sure to check out archives from past years, going back to 2021.
If you’d like to learn more about perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS):
Reducing PFAS in Products: Progress and Challenges (1 hr., 2 min., 33 sec.). This recorded webinar examined U.S. EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and a new online tool for EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing that highlights how standards and ecolabels address PFAS. Speakers from EPA, EPA grantees, and a nonprofit organization discussed the progress they have made to increase the availability and use of products without PFAS, and the challenges that remain.
To learn more about choosing safer products in a variety of settings including your home, check out the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Videos collection, also available in Spanish.
Instructors interested in integrating P2 into curricula should explore videos from last year’s “P2 Works” student storytelling challenge. High school and college students used the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) P2 Search Tool to identify facilities reporting source reduction practices. The students created videos telling a compelling story about how these case studies benefitted relevant businesses, communities, and the environment. Visit this website for descriptions and links to the winning videos.
A webinar recorded earlier this week by the Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) entitled “Pollution Prevention in EJ Communities” (1 hr., 8 min., 28 sec.) summarizes the results of a recent two-year project funded by the U.S. EPA, including adjustments made throughout the project for better reach, engagement, and service to participating businesses.
Finally, the ISTC Sustainability Seminar Series frequently features P2 topics. Visit the series webpage to learn more and explore archived recordings going back to 2007.
Beginning in 2014, shortly after the inception of its Zero Waste Illinois program, TAP conducted its first university campus waste audit in the form of a two-phase project for U. of I., examining the types and amounts of waste generated in eight campus buildings, as well as the availability and location of waste and recycling collection bins. That study also included a survey of building occupants to gauge knowledge of current programs, gaps in service, and overall satisfaction with the campus recycling program. With this data, TAP made recommendations for waste reduction and diversion at the campus and individual building levels. The TAP zero waste team went on to conduct similar waste characterization studies for other institutes of higher learning, industrial clients, local governments, small businesses, and school districts in Illinois and beyond, as well as contributing to statewide systemic change through efforts like the Farm to Food Bank feasibility study and pilot projects. In 2019, TAP assessed indoor solid waste and recycling collection infrastructure for U. of I., leading to the initial deployment of branded three-bin collection stations for waste and recyclables in high-traffic campus locations. F&S continues to deploy those newer three-bin stations as funding permits, as part of ongoing progress toward iCAP zero waste goals.
In the fall of 2021, TAP, F&S, and other campus stakeholders began discussion of a new round of campus building waste audits. Plans were paused until after the hiring of Daphne Hulse, the first full-time U. of I. Zero Waste Coordinator, in fall 2022, to ensure the availability of dedicated staff to address waste audit results and recommendations. A spring 2023 grant from the U. of I. Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) supplemented available F&S funds to secure TAP services for waste audits of eight high-usage facilities in October 2023.
Due to the size and volume of waste and recycling generated on campus, sorting all material was not feasible. Thus, TAP and F&S used an “activity zone” approach, developed by the TAP zero waste team after their work on the previous U. of I. campus audits. This involved selecting a representative set of buildings classified according to their main functions and services. Waste audit data from those representative buildings was used to formulate recommendations for waste reduction and improving the quantity and quality of collected recyclables. Those recommendations for improvement can then be applied to other buildings that fall within the same activity zone categorization. For this waste audit, activity zones and their respective buildings included:
Academic: Business Instructional Facility (BIF) & Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)
Academic + Laboratory: Roger Adams Laboratory (RAL) & Noyes Laboratory
Multi-Activity: Illini Union & Activities & Recreation Center (ARC)
Student Living: Lincoln Avenue Residence Halls & Allen Residence Hall
TAP conducted walkthroughs of study buildings to assess current conditions and infrastructure, discuss waste and recycling challenges and successes with facility managers and other key personnel, and determine the best method for sample collection during the waste audits. The audits involved the collection of samples from trash (landfill-bound) and recycling streams from each of the selected buildings, which were then hand-sorted by TAP staff and volunteers into pre-determined categories defined in conjunction with F&S waste management staff. Following the waste audits, TAP held four focus group sessions (one per activity zone) to obtain input from campus community members (including students, faculty, and staff). Stakeholder engagement helped to gauge expectations, barriers, and sources of confusion, as well as garner suggestions for ways to reduce waste and improve collection of recyclables for the buildings included in the study. An online form was made available for submission of written feedback from those unable to attend focus group sessions and to allow session participants to submit any additional comments and suggestions.
In addition to presenting methodologies and findings, the audit report outlines current waste and recycling management practices across campus and within the examined activity zones. This includes detailed descriptions of bin liner color-coding standards and the rationale behind them, procedures at the campus Waste Transfer Station (WTS), process flow diagrams, and a list of processors and destinations for the major categories of collected recyclables. The goal was to create a document that could support F&S’s efforts to educate and engage the campus community in improved waste management and the creation of a zero-waste culture.
There are long-standing misconceptions about campus waste management practices according to Joy Scrogum, an Assistant Research Scientist with ISTC’s TAP and a member of the campus Zero Waste iCAP team. “When I was an Illinois undergraduate, I would hear people say it didn’t matter if you accidentally put recyclables in campus trash bins because everything would be sorted at the campus Waste Transfer Station. That was frankly decades ago, and I still hear people make that incorrect assertion. Although the U. of I. is an innovative research institution, our Waste Transfer Station is low-tech, with a small crew that hand sorts only a fraction of the materials collected. There’s no cutting-edge equipment using lasers or air currents to extract recyclables, just humans pulling items from certain colored bags that are emptied onto a conveyor belt. It would be physically impossible to hand sort all the waste generated on campus, and most people aren’t even aware of the fact that different colored bin liners are meant to signify different actions at the transfer station. The contents of black bags, for example, aren’t emptied for a hand sort, because that color is supposed to signify waste collected from restrooms or laboratories.”
Graphic from the audit report illustrating the campus bin liner color-coding standard.
The study uncovered a lack of awareness, confusion, and/or inconsistent compliance regarding the bin liner color-coding standard, suggesting that improved communication and efforts to ease supply chain barriers could result in increased capture of recyclable materials. Observations during building walkthroughs and feedback compiled from stakeholder engagement indicated that greater consistency in collection bin style and signage, along with improvements in communication of proper waste management and recycling procedures to students, faculty, and staff could result in improved collection and reduced contamination of recyclable materials.
Key findings from the analysis include:
34 percent of campus waste reviewed was avoidable
23 percent of all landfill materials were some form of paper towels
Recyclable materials made up 13 percent of the total waste stream
17 percent of waste was compostable
18 percent of recyclables were contaminated and therefore unsalvageable
Liquids contributed to contaminating 5 percent of all the recycling items sorted
Disposable single-use items, such as these beverage cups, are examples of potentially avoidable waste.
TAP made 39 recommendations for waste reduction and improved management grouped into seven themes (education & outreach, infrastructure, policy, programming, purchasing, research, and retail). Many of the suggestions encourage colleges and departments to look upstream at the source of waste generation to proactively reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
F&S Zero Waste Coordinator Daphne Hulse said, “ISTC’s important and updated insight gives us the ability to turn their work into meaningful results that have an impact across campus. To accomplish our goals, we need to keep looking at how we can all continue to make progress by taking all available actions to properly reduce, reuse, and recycle where we study, work, recreate, and live.”
Daphne Hulse will also discuss the audit results, the details of campus waste and recycling management, and ongoing zero waste initiatives in an ISTC Sustainability Seminar presentation entitled, “Landfills Are Organized Littering: How the University of Illinois Is Moving Toward Zero Waste.” This hybrid presentation (with in-person and online attendance options), is scheduled for September 11 from 2-3 PM. Learn more and register at https://calendars.illinois.edu/detail/6229/33493027. ISTC Sustainability Seminars are recorded with archives available online within a few weeks of the seminar’s completion.
As always, please remember that ISTC does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, any particular manufacturer, vendor, product, or service. Information about specific products, manufacturers or vendors is provided for reference only.
So what can you do to reduce plastic pollution from textiles?
Resist fast fashion and reduce consumption. In general, reduce the amount of clothing you buy. Think about what items you really need and will wear repeatedly, and avoid accumulating more clothes than you can reasonably use. Choose versatile separates that can be paired with multiple other items in your wardrobe to create different outfits. When you must buy something, look for items that are durable and well-made. This will often (but not always!) mean that you’ll invest more money up-front. However, if you need to replace items less frequently, that investment will pay off in the long run. Check out Good on You’s guide to choosing clothes that last, and The Luxe Strategist’s detailed ‘An Actually Practical Guide to Shopping for High-Quality Clothes’.
Second-hand first. When you do buy clothing, consider used but “new to you” items. Participate in clothing swaps with friends or community members. Shop at thrift stores, consignment shops, or online resellers in search of those interchangeable and durable pieces mentioned above. The Luxe Strategist guide referenced above points out that truly vintage (pre-1970s) clothes are “built like tanks, and the differences between those and lower-quality clothes from today are unmistakable.” Extending the useful lives of textiles that have already been manufactured is important to reduce the demand for new items, keep existing clothing out of landfills, and conserve the embodied resources (e.g. energy, water, labor, etc.) that went into manufacturing those items. Fewer newly produced clothes mean fewer new plastics required to meet consumer demands.
Choose responsibly produced new items, made from non-synthetic fibers whenever possible. This may sound relatively simple, but if you’re concerned about sustainability in general, it’s important to acknowledge that a lot of resources and potentially harmful chemicals go into the production and harvesting of natural, non-synthetic fibers (e.g., cotton, silk, wool, etc.) as well as their processing, dyeing, and distribution. So keeping sourcing and production in mind will always be advisable. If you’re not able to find the particular item you need made from natural fibers, then the next best option would be items resulting from textile-to-textile recycling, as a way to increase demand for responsible management of textiles at the end of their first life. Even better if you find items made from recycled natural fibers! It can feel overwhelming to try to navigate the various factors involved in sustainable production, so check out this recent article from CNN Underscored highlighting 15 sustainable clothing brands, as well as Good On You’s explanation of the relative impacts of various clothing materials, including plant-based, animal-derived, and synthetics. In general, certified B Corporations meet standards for environmental and social impacts, so clothing and textile brands with this certification might be deemed preferable.
Consider your laundry routine and repair your textiles. Fewer chores are a good thing–for you and the environment! One of the simplest steps you can take to reduce plastic pollution is to launder your clothing and textiles less frequently. Fewer trips through the wash cycle mean fewer plastic particles sent down the drain. Plus, you’ll save water and electricity and your clothes won’t wear out as quickly! Unless you’ve sweat profusely, been exposed to harsh elements, or participated in a particularly dirty job like digging or painting, your outer garments might be able to be aired out and worn at least one additional time before getting tossed in the laundry basket. Check out Real Simple’s guide on how frequently to wash various types of clothing. When you do laundry, use cold water unless you have deeply soiled items. Cold water is effective at getting laundry clean, and research has shown that colder wash cycles result in decreased microfiber generation.
Returning to the notion of cleaning your lint trap, air-drying clothes is another option for reducing wear that leads to microfiber shedding.
Mending rips, patching worn spots, replacing buttons, and otherwise altering clothing are great ways to keep your textiles in service for longer, which can reduce the need for new synthetics and keep plastics out of landfills and the environment. If you’re not skilled with a needle, support the local economy by taking your items to a tailoring and alteration shop. If you’re willing to do it yourself but lack experience, an abundance of online guides and videos can help you learn basic techniques. For example, see “Simple Ways To Mend Your Clothing Without A Sewing Machine.”
Trap or filter microfibers released in your washing machine, and consider the washer itself. There are ways to minimize the plastic pollution drained from your washer. First, if you’re in the market for a new washing machine, consider a front-loader. According to Energy Star, not only are these machines more resource efficient, but they’re gentler on clothes, resulting in less microplastic shedding.
The Microfibre Consortium (Industry group; its goal is “to offer solutions to brands, retailers and manufacturers to transform textile production for the greater good of our ecosystems.”)
Blue Paradox. If you’re in Chicago in the near future, check out this exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. It does a great job of illustrating the magnitude and complexity of the plastic pollution problem, while also presenting some ideas for plastic reduction and technologies that already exist to address solutions.
The main Pumpkin Smash page on the SCARCE site provides other resources including diversion statistics from last year, downloadable promotional materials to help spread the word about your local event, a link to register your Pumpkin Smash site, and a map to help you find Smashes in your area. Visit 
