Orlando launches food waste drop off program

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - The City of Orlando is launching a unique food waste drop-off program. 

Nearly 24 pounds of food waste goes into Central Florida landfills every second, so the city wants to put that waste to work. 

"There's a lot of natural resources that goes into creating the food that we're then wasting, so why not try to use that food waste for something that could benefit, and for us, we're taking that food waste and converting it into electricity," said Leann Siefferman, Sustainability Project Coordinator for the City of Orlando.

The waste is being used to help convert organic waste into clean energy. The goal is to transform Orlando's food waste problem into a sustainable local resource and reduce potent greenhouse gas emissions.

Residents can recycle kitchen scraps, including meat, bones and dairy, for free at participating Farmer’s Market locations. Drop off stations are open during market hours. 

The city offers other free options to recycle kitchen food scraps, for residential and commercial properties:

Residents can receive a free backyard composter for you to compost at home. Composting is the process of turning kitchen and yard waste into usable, nutrient-rich soil through natural decomposition.

Residents can receive a free oil recycling jug for your kitchen grease and cooking oil. The City of Orlando converts this oil into bio-diesel.