With Austin’s recent bag ban going into effect, there has been a local organization that has been ahead of the reusable, waste-reduction trend. Sustainable Food Center, pioneer of the zero-waste movement in Austin, continues to lead the way in landfill reduction.
SFC’s annual fundraising event Farm to Plate is 100 percent zero-waste and focuses exclusively on locally grown and produced food and beverages. SFC anticipates that this year’s Farm to Plate, which will be on May 9, 2013 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the historic Barr Mansion, will have 600 guests—underscoring the need for all items to be composted, recycled, or reused rather than in the landfill.
A few of the event’s green features include:
Barr Mansion, the site for SFC’s annual Farm to Plate event, was the first certified USDA organic event facility in the nation, as well as the first zero-waste special event facility in the nation.
On-site volunteers at Farm to Plate to clear tables and help guests sort food scraps, green waste, plates, napkins and other items into compost and recycling bins. This builds upon the successful zero-waste program in place at SFC Farmers’ Markets, where volunteers help educate market guests on items which can be recycled or composted—and has diverted more than 20,000 lbs of waste from the landfill.
Reusable goodie bags are donated by Austin-based eco-friendly company BlueAvocado. Not only are the goodie bags reusable, but they also certified recycled repreve fibers and are durable, lead free, washable, and include a carbon label to track environmental impact.
Donated items in goodie bags are sourced-locally, and either reusable or recyclable.
All chefs prepare food bites that are 100 percent edible (no serving paper or garnishes) and contain only locally grown and sourced ingredients.
Source: Sustainable Food Center
