The Illinois Food Scrap Coalition (IFSC) is a group of more than 150 businesses, solid waste agencies, county governments, state and federal agencies, universities and nonprofits that have organized to promote food scrap composting across Illinois. The IFSC grew out of a one-year food scrap composting forum planning process initiated by Seven Generations Ahead. IFSC supports research, programs, education and policy initiatives.
The Illinois Food Scrap Coalition (IFSC) was founded after a 2012 GreenTown Highland Park pre-conference event drawing 125 attendees focusing on residential curbside food scrap programs and other composting initiatives. SGA and partners including solid waste agencies, advocates, and government entities founded the coalition as a vehicle for advancing food scrap composting across Illinois through policy, education, programs and initiatives. SGA has facilitated the strategic planning processes for the IFSC, and continues to have an active presence in IFSC committees and on the IFSC board. For more information, visit illinoiscomposts.org.
Examples of IFSC projects and work (click on list item for more info):
- Development and implementation of the GreenTown Food Scrap Composting Forum;
- Execution of various waste diversion, composting, and food recovery webinars featuring Illinois successes and best practices;
- A mapping project, led by DuPage County, designed to identify the locations and details of food scrap-generating businesses and institutions that are diverting food scraps from landfill, and their respective haulers and compost facility operators;
- Educational resources like compost one-pagers and a guide to residential compost programs for municipalities;
- Food Scrap Composting Challenges and Solutions in Illinois Report see below for detailed info on this project).
Food Scrap Composting Challenges and Solutions in Illinois
Funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the Food Scrap Composting Challenges and Solutions in Illinois project was designed to advance food scrap composting through research, stakeholder forums, an analysis and recommendations report and advocacy. Seven Generations Ahead, in collaboration with the Education Committee of the IFSC, designed and directed the project.
The executive summary and recommendations report was presented to the Illinois General Assembly’s Task Force on the Advancement of Materials Recycling in November 2014. The final report was completed in January 2015.
You can read the report in its entirety here: IFSC Food Scrap Report 2015. Or read the Executive Summary for the Food Scrap Composting Challenges and Solutions in Illinois Report. In December of 2016, an economic impact and market study report was conducted. The results and recommendations can be found here.
The project team set out to accomplish these goals:
- Educate Illinois stakeholders (food scrap generators, waste haulers, compost site operators, state agencies, non-profits, industry associations, lawmakers, regulators, the public at-large) about policies and statewide approaches that are diverting food scraps from landfills and advancing composting across the country.
Analyze barriers, challenges and opportunities related to advancing food scrap composting in Illinois.
Develop a set of recommendations for advancing food scrap composting and creating related jobs in Illinois.
Create and disseminate a report.
Advocate for recommended policies and strategies to promote food scrap composting in Illinois.
SGA has also produced several webinars through the IFSC Education Committee focusing on Illinois entities reducing wasted food via composting, recycling, and food recovery and food share programs.
Click here to view or download all of our webinar resources as recordings and PDFs.