CPS Zero Waste

Building upon SGA’s work over the past several years to support food scrap composting system integration and education in to Chicago Public Schools (CPS), CPS Zero Waste is a collaboration between CPS and SGA to scale up composting and other waste reduction strategies across the district. SGA’s work is funded by Peoples Gas and Food:Land:Opportunity (Chicago Community Trust and the Kindship Foundation) and includes:

• • Supporting SGA’s original 18 pilot schools with maintaining and improving their food scrap collection/compost hauling operations
• • Adding new pilot schools to the mix
• • Working with CPS and partners to figure out strategies for scaling up composting and waste reduction across the district, including: policies; standard operating procedures; training; economic feasibility; determining who’s responsible for different labor components; and exploring opportunities to synch up hauling routes with the City of Chicago. Stay tuned!

SGA has also partnered with CPS on The World Wildlife Fund’s Food Waste Warriors project. Over the grant period, SGA supported food waste audits in 10 schools and provided technical expertise for food waste reduction interventions. Project goals included collecting quantitative and qualitative data for food loss and waste, determining which reduction interventions are suitable for different school communities, and the creation of policy and educational materials to grow the food waste reduction work in the district.