Grand Teton park’s food waste program deemed successful

The pilot program that Grand Teton National Park started to curb food waste has been deemed successful after its first season.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that from May through October, 73.3 tons of food waste was diverted from landfills to a composting facility in West Yellowstone, Montana.

Mari Allan Hanna, waste diversion and outreach coordinator at Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling, says the project didn’t reach its goal of 150 tons but should still be celebrated.

Hanna says the pilot program was an opportunity to test the logistics of a large-scale food composting collection service, which is likely to guide future operations.

The program is part of the “Road to Zero Waste,” a community initiative to divert 60 percent of the community’s waste from landfills by 2030.