CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – On September 26, the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC) was awarded a $76,300 Solid Waste Management Grant to fund the Community Gardens and Farmers Market Compost and Donation Project. 

The main goal and purpose of the project is to decrease the amount of food headed to the landfill through beneficial and sustainable alternatives. The IWRC will work with community gardens as well as farmers markets, in areas where infrastructure and resources are limited, to implement both composting and donation strategies. “These strategies are often costly and challenging to implement,” explains Jennifer Trent, IWRC Program Manager, “but with our nine years in food waste prevention & reduction, we can help rural communities and organizations develop and sustain a robust food waste management system.”

Technical assistance, hands-on training, and education will be the primary methods used to address this challenge and achieve project goals. Following the completion of the project, training and educational materials will be housed on the IWRC website at iwrc.uni.edu. The new 12-month project kicked off on October 1.

Contact Molly Wells, Communications & Public Relations Manager at the University of Northern Iowa Iowa Waste Reduction Center, for more information at 319-273-5352 or molly.wells@uni.edu.

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About Iowa Waste Reduction Center. The IWRC has been providing environmental services, including technical assistance and industry training, as well as research and development, for over 30 years. The IWRC is a part of the University of Northern Iowa's Business and Community Services which builds a better Iowa through hands‐on technical assistance for economic and business development, entrepreneurship, environmental improvement and enhanced sustainability. For more information, visit iwrc.uni.edu.

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