BALTIMORE — Waste not, want not. One man in Southwest Baltimore is taking food scraps and turning them into something that helps businesses and creates jobs, and it's free.
What does this mess have to do with environmental sustainability in the city?
It's turning food waste into soil through the program called compost on the go.
"We create more green spaces, and we help maintain more green spaces,” said Alex Smith who owns Division Street Outdoor Contracting.
Smith owns a landscaping company; he says it's become a match made in heaven. He uses the compost not only for his business but also community gardens throughout the city.
In return, he donates expired vegetables to produce the soil.
"You got to think of it as almost recycling food this stuff shouldn't go to waste, it shouldn't go to the landfills and we can take it and actually utilize it,” said Smith.
Everyone talks about going green but Christopher Dipnarine, the founder of the nonprofit 4MyCity, is making it happen.
"We've composted over 606,000 pounds of food waste in the past 12 months and for those that don't know food waste in landfills create methane. 28 times more potent than your regular carbon dioxide,” said Dipnarine.
Although the program has only been up and running for a year. Word is spreading fast."When we first started was maybe 10, 15 families. Now we're at 2,300 families participating in this program and we distribute over 55,000 of these bags,” said Dipnarine.
Biodegradable bags that were created through a partnership with WIN Waste Innovations, a waste to energy facility in the city.
"We found that there's a lot of barriers for low-income people to be part of environmentalism and sustainability and Chris has been able to break those barriers,” said Mary Urban who is the WIN Waste Innovations Senior Director of Communications.
The process is simple, bags are dropped into the composting machine where microorganisms and hot air brake down the food waste and in 24 hours it turns into usable soil.
And for those looking to make a little extra income, the program also gives them the ability for people to pick up and deliver the compost similar to delivery apps.
"That’s the good thing about it I have a flexible schedule,” said John Kaburopulos who is a Compost on the Go driver. For John it's become more than a job, "It feels like I’m giving back to the community by helping cut down the trash and waste and use it for a more environmentally friendly thing.”
Income that is earned and stays within the community.
