Mill announced a new collaboration with the City of Phoenix to increase food recycling participation rates in Phoenix and make a dent in the $9.5 billion of wasted food that end up in Arizona landfills each year. The new initiative will raise awareness of the economic and environmental costs of wasted food and encourage Phoenix residents to engage in food recycling while supporting local jobs and agriculture.
Mill鈥檚 food recycling system makes it easy to prevent food waste at home by pairing the award-winning food recycler鈥攁 new device for your kitchen that quietly and odorlessly dries and dehydrates food scraps into a nutrient-rich material that resembles coffee grounds鈥攚ith monthly Food Grounds pick-ups, composting, and seasonal Farm Boxes from local farm R.City.
The City of Phoenix is also leading the way in combating food waste with the nation鈥檚 largest deployment of Mill food recyclers across local government buildings. More than 25 Mill food recyclers have been installed across City Hall and the Calvin C. Goode buildings. The grounds processed by the food recyclers will be picked up by R.City to enrich local soil and grow fresh, seasonal produce for the Phoenix community.
Why this matters: Keeping food out of the landfill is good for the planet and consumers鈥� wallets. According to a recent survey of 1,300 Mill households,nearly 50% reported they were wasting less food after getting a Mill food recycler at home. Since the average American household throws out nearly$3,000 in food each year, even a modest reduction in wasted food could represent hundreds of dollars in annual savings.
Mill鈥檚 first-of-its-kind measurement tools around food waste鈥攊ncluding an in-device measurement system, in-app feedback reporting, and customizable quarterly reports鈥攐ffer new opportunities for individuals, businesses, and municipalities to track and reduce wasted food over time. These important measurement tools enable behavior change and can help track progress toward the City鈥檚 goal of diverting 50% of wasted food from landfills by 2030.
鈥淭ackling wasted food is good for homes, communities, and city-wide infrastructure,鈥� said Harry Tannenbaum, Cofounder and President of Mill. 鈥淲e鈥檝e invested significantly in Phoenix over the past year, and it鈥檚 inspiring to see the City take on a leadership role in the fight against wasted food. Phoenix is showing the country how food recycling can be simple and impactful.鈥�
鈥淚 started R.City eleven years ago in my backyard and today, we have thousands of customers across the metro region. Mill and R.City make it easy for anyone to keep food out of the landfill and put it to good use,鈥� said J.D. Hill, Founder of R.City. 鈥淭his not only helps reduce waste but also supports jobs and strengthens urban agriculture in our community. It鈥檚 a win-win for the environment and for the people of Phoenix.鈥�
“Having Mill food recyclers in nearly every breakroom of the City Hall Campus聽is a great way to engage staff in efforts to achieve our food waste diversion聽goals,” said Amanda Jordan, Phoenix’s Circular Economy Project Manager. “We hope to lead by example as we encourage our residents to find better ways聽to repurpose聽food waste and scraps.”
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