On November 25, representatives from the City of Tucson, Tucson Unified School District and Iskashitaa Refugee Network (IRN) came together at Manzo Elementary School to kick off the Scraps to Soil Program.Scraps to Soil is a composting and food waste reduction project that supports the Resilient Together Climate Action Plan and Tucson’s 2022 Climate Emergency goals to reduce food waste, expand composting, and build community resilience. It also helps expand the FoodCycle program to low-income neighborhoods and schools, as well as promote long-term sustainable behavior through education and outreach.
By partnering with TUSD and IRN, the City of Tucson addresses the 40% of landfill waste that is organic, advancing Tucson’s zero-waste and climate goals, and will divert more than 50 tons of produce annually.Food and green waste will be collected for large-scale composting. The finished compost will then be distributed, at no cost, to Manzo and other school partners and community gardens.
Tucson Unified will also integrate composting education into the curriculum, as well as train students and staff on composting.
