Ames, Iowa Program Makes it Easy for Residents to Toss Food Waste

Ames, Iowa is hoping to lower the amount of food waste that ends up in its landfills with a new program.

The new program in Ames is called Food Waste Diversion, or FWD.

Merry Rankin, Iowa’s State’s Director of Sustainability, and the Sustainability for the city of Ames, is helping push this new program and encourage folks to separate their food and organics waste and take it to the proper location when they fill their bins.

Bill Schmitt, who runs the Resource Recovery Plant, started FWD with Rankin four years ago.

"What kind of drove this is trying to fill that niche for people who needed a place for organics to go, rather than going into the garbage, which then goes into the landfill and generates methane," Schmitt said.

The Resource Recovery Plant is a location where residents can bring their food and organic waste for proper disposal.

"Organic waste is items you have left over from food preparation from your meal. Banana peels, coffee grinds, potato skins," Schmitt said.

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