Sustainability

The Beaverton School District Nutrition Services Department organizes weekly food donations from each school kitchen, these donations are delivered to agencies including: The Sunshine Pantry, Rock Creek Church Pantry, Westside Food Brigade, Good Neighbor Shelter, Community Action Shelter, Urban Gleaners, and Birch Community Services.

The Food Donation program ensures that wholesome edible leftover food goes to people in need instead of landing in the trash. Since January, 2017, Waste Not Food Taxi has coordinated volunteer drivers and pickups for school kitchen donations. Donating food is free from liability under the federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act. 

If you are interested in volunteering your time to this program and are a registered volunteer for Beaverton School District, please send an email to susie@wastenotfoodtaxi.org

Follow this link to register as a BSD volunteer.

https://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/departments/communications-community-involvement/volunteer

 

                        This institution is an equal opportunity provider. ​​

 

Actions for food waste

·         Food donation through Waste Not Food Taxi or in-house pantries at all school sites

·         Food scrap collection at 50 school kitchens  

Actions for paper use

·         Discontinued use of plastic straws

·         Discontinued 5-pound boats for breakfast service- we now use permanent trays

·         Permanent compartment trays will be purchased for all elementary school sites by beginning of school year 2021

·         Silverware use or pilots taking place at 7  school sites

·         Switch to compostable, fiber or PLA service containers from plastic

Actions for procurement

·         Approximately 35% of all items we serve are local products

·         Items purchased with Farm to School Funds are all Oregon grown or processed

·         Reduction in number of deliveries by Sysco in 19-20 by having sites move to every 2-week delivery

Food Scrap Collection

The Beaverton School District, Nutrition Services Department participates in the mandatory Metro Policy for back of house food scrap collection in commercial businesses. Currently 50 Beaverton School kitchens capture organic waste which is picked up weekly by haulers and taken to composting facilities. 

40% of food produced in the U.S. goes to waste. Food waste is one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters because it releases a gas called methane that is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. We are participating in the collective goal to reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfills.

The following is a list of food waste currently being collected:

• Fruits and veggies
• Grains, (bread, rice, pasta)
• Meat (chicken, beef)
• Dairy (cheese, yogurt)
• Leftovers, scraps
• Spoiled food

The food scraps from participating restaurants, grocery stores, schools and other businesses across the region are converted to compost at facilities near Salem and Corvallis.