Fry’s Food Stores will add commercial food scrap collection at all Tucson stores through the City of Tucson’s FoodCycle Program. A formal announcement will be made by Mayor Jonathan Rothschild on April 1, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. in the Fry’s located at 7812 E. Speedway Blvd. The addition of the Fry’s stores will bring the number of Tucson food scrap collection locations to 50.
The City of Tucson’s Environmental Services Department estimates that 80 percent of what is disposed of in landfills is compostable or recyclable, and that about 50 percent of food thrown away is compostable. The City of Tucson is one of only two Arizona communities currently collecting food scraps for composting. Its pilot composting program began June 30, 2014 with the University of Arizona and 16 restaurants, grocery stores and hotels. The program has grown incrementally since then.
The University of Arizona’s Compost Cats were the catalyst for the pilot program, helping to collect, deliver and process food and green waste from participating grocery stores, restaurants and hotels. The Tohono O’odham San Xavier Co-op Farm, just south of Tucson, soon became an important partner, providing space and farm equipment to prepare the compost for sale. The refined compost is sold at local farmers’ markets, and used by both the Tohono O’odham Nation and Tucson Parks and Recreation Department.
Businesses interested in compost collection service are invited to call 520-791-3171 to speak with a commercial service representative from the City’s Environmental Services Department.