Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District
At a Glance
Industry
Government/Public Administration
Project Types
Data Analysis, Engagement and Behavior Change, Goals/Targets
Year
2024
Location
New Bedford, MA
Summary
Kendal Karstens identified and created opportunities to prevent food waste, to divert food waste to composting or anaerobic digestion facilities, and to extend the local landfill's usable life.Goals
Karstens worked at the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District (the District) to reduce the amount of household food waste entering the local Crapo Hill landfill. Food waste should be prevented as much as possible and diverted to more preferred facilities such as composting or anaerobic digestion to create a more sustainable system of managing organic waste. Crapo Hill has an estimated 4-5 years of airspace remaining in the existing landfill cells, so diverting food waste also helps extend the life of the landfill and helps reduce future waste management costs once the landfill reaches capacity and trash is sent to other more expensive disposal outlets.Solutions
Karstens accelerated the District's food waste diversion in three ways:
1. "Save Food Save Money" campaign. Karstens launched a marketing campaign and held community outreach to educate residents about food waste reduction and prevention.
2. Develop baselines. Karstens evaluated the current impact of the District's food waste diversion projects. She utilized data from ReFed's Impact Calculator and Food Waste Monitor and research from the National Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, she developed a survey to collect local data.
3. Recommend solutions. Karstens evaluated methods to increase participation in the community food waste drop-off program and the backyard composting initiative. She leveraged the Climate Corps network to propose solutions. Karstens recommended four impactful solutions that balance financial and time constraints.Potential Impact
Karstens determined the District's current initiatives divert more than 16 tons of food waste and mitigate more than 21 metric tons of CO2e emissions annually. She discovered solutions to shift household behavior that balance staff time and financial cost while optimizing environmental impact. If her recommendations are implemented, another 16 tons of food waste and 21 metric tons of CO2e emissions are likely to be diverted after one year. As a result, the Crapo Hill landfill remains a community resource for longer, food waste is converted to valuable resources, and long-term waste management costs are reduced.
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