1. What is the social or environmental issue being addressed? Waste
CERO Cooperative is simultaneously addressing the problem of landfills receiving organic material, which generates methane and contributes to global warming and the challenge to find green jobs with acceptable wages and working conditions.
2. How is this being addressed?
CERO (Cooperative Energy, Recycling, and Organics) is a commercial composting company providing effective commercial composting services:
- Providing food diversion and pickup services for commercial clients
- Transporting food scraps to local farms, where they are recycled into nutrient-rich compost products used to support the local agrucilture economy
- Helping creating quality jobs for local community members, primarily immigrants and people of color
- Prioritizing reasonable reasonable pricing to clients by a more direct and efficient process, saving their customers over $400,000 in trash hauling expenses
CERO Cooperative offers a unique business model in which every employee is also part owner.
#sustainability #zerowaste #compost #watemanagement #mm5860
Source: “5 Reasons Why Your City Should Have a Zero Waste Plan” Next City, October 2020
3. Stakeholders
City leaders are responsible to pivot away from current systems and invest in zero waste, which would safeguard public health, create good jobs, build local economies and fight climate change.
Big companies to engage in these programs as main clients and waste generators. They will not only see theis cost decrease but will also be helping to a circular and green local economy.
Communities in general need to advocate and push their leaders to take part in these initiatives.
4. Next steps
- Create the channels: adapt regulation, form local cooperatives and build composting facilities
- Engage the stakeholders: require big companies in each community to engage and contact with local farmers
- Coordinate the whole system.
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