How Can Cutting Your Food Waste Help the Climate?

Food waste is a common problem many households and food establishments are faced with. Throwing away food scraps and leftovers that could have been eaten seems like an easy solution but in reality has devastating outcomes. When food waste enters a landfill, it begins contributing to greenhouse gas emissions due to the anaerobic environment. When food…

Read More

Frugal Ways to Reduce Your Climate Footprint

In the age of Teslas, solar panels, and buying organic, it can feel like sustainable choices are only for the rich. But the facts show otherwise, with the “wealthiest 1% of people in the world putting out as much carbon pollution as the poorest two-thirds,” according to a November 2023 Oxfam report. Generally, working class…

Read More

What Do “Best By” Dates On Food Really Mean?

Have you ever found yourself wondering about the “best by” date on food items? Are they still safe to eat even though the date has passed? How long will your favorite food or beverage stay safe? Surprisingly, the answer is not on the date label. Most date labels tell you about food quality, not safety. We…

Read More

The Benefits of Diverting Organic Waste from Landfills

Written by volunteer: Kate Sheppard Diverting waste from landfill can sometimes feel like a chore, but the benefits far outweigh the temporary annoyance of getting your hands dirty. This is especially true of organic waste. Yes, it may occasionally be sticky or smelly, but it’s not hard to properly sort and divert these compostable materials…

Read More

ReFED Food Waste Action Network Member Spotlight

Solana Center is excited to be featured as a Member of ReFED’s Food Waste Action Network (FWAN). The following interview was originally published on their website in April 2023 here. Organization Overview: Solana Center for Environmental Innovation helps individuals, businesses, and municipalities implement practical solutions for food waste diversion, surplus edible food donation, and environmental sustainability improvements.…

Read More

Let’s Talk About Organics Recycling

Solana Center is proud to work with a majority of jurisdictions in the San Diego region to help with organics green bin distribution and provide education on what goes where as both residents and businesses begin participating in this important program spurred by SB 1383 legislation. At the start of summer 2021, EDCO distributed kitchen…

Read More

Solana Center for Environmental Innovation Honored with National Organics Diversion Program of the Year Award

Esteemed national organization US Compost Council recognizes local environmental leader and Encinitas non-profit for impacts in composting education and program implementation SAN DIEGO – The United States Composting Council (USCC) awarded the esteemed achievement award for Organics Diversion Program of the Year to Solana Center for Environmental Innovation which pioneered the first comprehensive curbside recycling…

Read More

To Reduce Food Waste, Investors and Community Organizations Need to be at the Table

By Bea Miñana (Closed Loop Partners) and Jessica Toth (Solana Center for Environmental Innovation) Food waste is created at every point in our current food supply chain––on the farm, during manufacturing and transportation, on store shelves, at restaurants, and in our homes. Today, most of that uneaten food ends up in landfills, or is otherwise…

Read More

Methods to Reduce Waste

Waste occurs in many areas of a business, but each cause of waste has a myriad of solutions that will reduce waste, save money, and build a more dedicated team and customer following. Once you understand what is being wasted in your business and why, you can begin to reduce this waste by implementing some…

Read More

Understanding Your Business’s Waste

The first and most important step to reducing waste is understanding what you are wasting and why. Food waste from restaurants can occur before the food is served from over-ordering ingredients, improper storage, and inefficient menus, or after the customer has received the food because of too large portion sizes and wasteful serving practices. There are…

Read More