Help our planet-help each other.

My name is Kathryn Sweeney. When I turned 15, I applied for my Illinois work permit and went to work at a local restaurant as a hostess, barista and eventually server. While I enjoyed many aspects of my job, I became increasingly disturbed by the amount of food wasted. This was of course not unique to my employer — it is the case at most restaurants throughout the country. Much of the waste was unavoidable, and as I watched it pile up throughout the day, I knew it would end up in a landfill somewhere.

After 15 months of working in the food service industry, I felt called to find a way to lessen food waste in my local area. I began researching composting and was amazed by all of the incredible benefits composting provides. According to the FDA, 30-40% of food is wasted in the United States. Much of the wasted food is placed into landfills where it is buried under thousands of tons of garbage. This food has no access to oxygen. As a result, it decomposes anaerobically, causing the release of methane (which is over 25 percent more potent than carbon dioxide). Composting allows organic waste to decompose in a more environmentally friendly way. Composting also improves the health of soil by adding nutrients removed through harvesting. This nutrient-rich soil helps grow food while at the same time removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. Finally, because landfills are often placed in economically disadvantaged areas, reducing the number of landfills is an important step towards achieving environmental justice.