The benefits of achieving zero food waste in Milwaukee

11,550 tons of edible food redistributed to those in need would:

• Provide 92 million meals, eliminating the remaining food insecurity in Milwaukee at an economic value of $94.5 million annually

​​47,000 cubic yards of compost produced each year could either:

• Halt topsoil degredation on 6,350 acres of conventional farmland OR restore 470 acres of degraded, spent farmland each year

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​4.2 million gallons of processing at digestion facilities producing roughly 2.3 million cubic feet of biogas per day at 60% methane content would:

• Replace approximately 1.38 million cubic feet per day of natural gas usage in Milwaukee, 0.3% of the current RNG demand​

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Using the EPA’s WARM model, reducing food waste by 11,550 tons, composting 17,650 tons of food waste and 9,800 tons of yard waste, and digesting 112,735 tons of food waste would:

• Reduce GHG emissions by 120,206 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (similar to removing 25,520 passenger cars from the road)
• Reduce Milwaukee county's 2018 estimated emissions of 12,550,249 MTCO2E/year by ~1%
• Create a net >42 full time jobs adding $787,270/year of wages to the local economy

Diverting 142,000 tons of waste from MKE landfills also would:

• Add 7.5% to the operational life of landfills in the Milwaukee area, extending the life of a new 2.5 million ton capacity landfill in MKE by 13 months (one of which will be needed within the next 7 years)