Dive Brief:

• Beginning in August of 2013, 50 families in Providence, Rhode Island began participating in a pilot food program offered by the city. Since then, the group has managed to divert two tons of organic scraps. 
• Each household drops off containers holding the scraps at a collection site. Participants received a countertop bucket for use in the kitchen, and a five gallon bucket to bring to the collection site.
• The composting drop-off locations are overseen by the Office of Sustainability in Providence via its "Lots of Hope" neighborhood garden program. The project received funding with a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation; the second year is not funded through a grant.

Dive Insight:

The pilot food waste project is part of an effort by Providence to attain zero-waste by 2030. The organic waste is turned into compost, which will be used to grow food, said the city's sustainability director, Sheila Dormody, who is hoping the program encourages neighborhood organizations to take charge of the program themselves. The city will handle the creation of the infrastructure necessary for success.