NOGALES, AZ - The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) has announced an enhanced commitment to encouraging alternative channels of produce waste disposal.
“The landfill doesn’t have to be the final destination of produce that is no longer commercially viable,” says the FPAA in a press release. “The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) believes it is important for the warehouses in Santa Cruz County to know some of the alternative channels of disposal. The association encourages the use of these channels.”
Fruit and vegetables that need to leave the warehouse without a buyer is often times still suitable for consumption, and the FPAA believes that what is not edible can still be recycled into byproducts like all-natural, organic fertilizers, the organization continued.
“We not only look to promote social and environmentally responsible actions on behalf of the warehouses, but also to support them in the efforts of reducing costs associated with dumping fees,” says Lance Jungmeyer, President of the FPAA.
To make it easier for members of the FPAA to donate, a poster has been commissioned, listing four of the organizations that will currently receive the unwanted produce. The poster contains contact information as well as brief descriptions of each organization’s mission and operation.
The organizations involved are the following:
- The 3000 Club, a food rescue organization which has been assisting food banks and other non-profits in Arizona and California.
- Nogales Community Food Bank which provides food to individuals, families and organizations in need in several areas of Southern Arizona.
- The UA Compost Cats whose objective is to reduce waste, greenhouse gas emissions and to increase local food security.
- Borderlands Food Bank which works with families and other non-profit agencies that distribute food produce to their clients in the U.S. and Nogales, Mexico.
The poster will be distributed to all the association members and it will be available at the FPAA office at 590 E. Frontage Rd. in Nogales, AZ for public distribution. The organization encourages all interested parties to get a copy.
