Washtenaw Food Policy Council
Policy Action Team Meeting Minutes
Use this form to take minutes at each Policy Action Team meeting. Proposed minutes must be available within eight business
days after a meeting. Approved minutes must be available within five days after the meeting at which they are approved. Send
proposed and approved minutes to Lily Guzman at guzmanL@ewashtenaw.org
Policy Action Team:
Food and Food Packaging Waste
Date of Meeting:
February 19, 2013
Time of Meeting:
3:30 – 5:00 PM
Address of Meeting:
City of Ann Arbor, City Hall, 301 E Huron Street
Basement conference room
Washtenaw Food Policy Council attendees:
Nicole Chardoul
Additional attendees (first and last names):
Noelle Bowman
Barbara Lucas
Robyn Wardell, Food Corps
Nancy Stone
Phel Meyer, Erb Institute (U-M)
Rich Grousset, Erb Institute (U-M)
Public comment (first and last names):
None
Note taker:
Nancy Stone
Agenda:
1) Approve January Minutes
2) Recap of WCC EarthTub tour
3) Score initiatives against criteria/impacts
4) Review/Refine initiatives
5) Review more case studies on advocacy/policy examples
6) Potential impacts
7) Short and long term goals
8) Assignments/subcommittees
9) Next Steps
Date minutes approved:
March 19, 2013
Meeting Minutes:
1) Started following the 2 pm Earth Tub tour at WCC. Approved January Minutes moved by Barbara,
seconded by Noelle, passed
2) Recap of WCC Earth Tub tour – First in-vessel composter in the County. Great demonstration project.
Very informative discussion and (cold) tour. Economic incentives with avoided landfill fees. Yuck factor
can be a deterrent, but bottom line, it’s “just food.” Had Qs on how the collection program works.
Suggested the WCC Business join the Environmental Science students in making a business case.
• Committee is open to ideas for other field trips, e.g., Michigan Union returnable containers
3) Score initiatives against criteria/impacts
4) Review/Refine initiatives
• Review more case studies on advocacy/policy examples
• Potential impacts
• Short and long term goals
Initiative #1: Waste-free lunches: can be a range of activities e.g., for the Michigan Green Schools one point
can be “hold a single waste-free lunch.” This one-day event is truly easy to implement. The other end of the
Washtenaw Food Policy Council
Policy Action Team Meeting Minutes
Use this form to take minutes at each Policy Action Team meeting. Proposed minutes must be available within eight business
days after a meeting. Approved minutes must be available within five days after the meeting at which they are approved. Send
proposed and approved minutes to Lily Guzman at guzmanL@ewashtenaw.org
spectrum would be to have composting and recycling at all lunchtimes, which requires intensive supervision
and student volunteers. Focus can be at the student classroom level, teacher education, food services,
community education. Example is from Oak Hills Elementary School in Ventura County for Zero-waste lunch.
The Center for Ecoliteracy in California has a good toolbox. Important to include a waste audit. Successful
programs involve students. Another example had students receive a cloth napkin, reusable beverage bottle,
and sandwich box. Had math problems for how many bottles saved by using refillable. Thurston, Northside
and King Elementary schools in Ann Arbor have a daily recycling and food waste composting at all lunches.
Robyn is putting together a healthy lunch, waste-free lunch set of materials that she can provide for this task
force.
Initiative #3: Food donations: Noelle researched on food donations for animal feed. Nothing in Michigan, but
some programs in MN and Omaha, NE (farmer using stale bread for creating animal feed). Federal laws have
no restrictions on non-meat food donations; but stringent laws on animal-based foods (e.g., cooking at x
degrees for an hour, storage requirements). PA has a network of hog farmers using breads and canned foods.
Donations for human consumption are legally covered by Good Samaritans Act. Food Gatherers could use
help with year-round composting service.
Initiative #4: Update from City of Ann Arbor, full plate scrapings is under discussion with WeCare Organics at
Ann Arbor’s open windrow site, which would be able to handle this range and quantity of materials from
single-family residents. Program start-up timing includes decisions include adjustment of contract to pay a
higher tip fee since the food waste will require more on-site equipment and staff time management. And
there will need to be contracts for ordering optional kitchen collectors to support best management
practices. Before offering year-round compost collection, city will need to demonstrate affordable need for
winter collection. Nicole mentioned that it is possible to provide residential food carts pickups once/month in
the winter.
Initiative #5: Updates from U-M with the Go Blue Box at the Michigan Union: piloting for a year. Students are
interested in public-private partnership for expanding reusable containers to more restaurants. From city,
looking for incentives to businesses to encourage reuse of containers. Qs: Any permits needed for vehicle
pickups from streets, alleys? Placement of collection bins on streets? (could start with talking with Susan
Pollay, DDA.)
5) Assignments/subcommittees
People will work on each of their areas of passion that align with the identified six initiatives.
Waste-free lunch – Robyn
Food waste prevention -- Catherine Dyson and Barbara Lucas (Nancy with possible intern on EPA)
Food donation – Noelle
Biweekly trash/weekly compostable—Nicole
Containers—Rich and Phel for reuseables project. Reuse/compost/recycle containers listed in draft City A2
new solid waste plan.
Zero waste events – open, possibly RAA’s new zero waste staff person, or links to existing online guides
6) Next Steps—work on assignments. Next Meeting: March 19th, 3:30 pm.
7) Adjourned at 5:15 p.m.