Food Waste | Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

March 30 is International Day of Zero Waste

The International Day of Zero Waste, established by United Nations General Assembly resolution 77/161, is jointly facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Celebrated on March 30th annually, the event highlights the importance of sustainable materials management and responsible consumption and production. This year’s theme is food […]

International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is May 3-9, 2026

International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is celebrated annually during the first full week of May and is a time to learn more about composting organic wastes (e.g., landscape wastes and food scraps) as part of fostering healthier soil and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A theme is chosen for ICAW in the US each year, […]

Celebrate International Compost Awareness Week May 4-10, 2025

Celebrate Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, Sept. 15-21, 2025

The third week of September annually is celebrated as Pollution Prevention, or P2, Week. P2 Week 2025 is September 15-21 using the theme: “40 Years of Pollution Prevention: Honoring the Past, Protecting the Future!” As defined by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR, emphasis added), “Pollution is the contamination of air, soil, or water by […]

Tools to help reduce food waste this holiday season

It’s the fall and winter holiday season, and the downside of upcoming festivities is the amount of waste they entail, especially food waste. When we waste food, we also waste the resources that went into its production (e.g., water, land, energy, labor, etc.), and contribute to the generation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as […]

Free assessments for small food businesses in DuPage & Kane Counties

High view of man buying coffee at counter.

Uncover cost-saving and efficiency opportunities for your food-focused business! The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and the EnergySense Resilience Center, units of the University of Illinois, are providing free technical assistance to 10 small for and/or non-profit entities, such as restaurants, grocers, food banks, lodging or institutional food service operations, and other food-focused businesses and […]

Free sustainability assessments for small food businesses in DuPage & Kane Counties

Uncover cost-saving and efficiency opportunities for your food-focused business! The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), units of the University of Illinois, are providing free technical assistance to 10 small for and/or non-profit entities, such as restaurants, grocers, and other food-focused businesses and organizations in DuPage and Kane […]

ISTC is proud to be a 2025 Food Waste Prevention Week partner

Mark your calendars for Food Waste Prevention Week, scheduled to take place April 7-13 this year. The US EPA estimates that in 2019 alone, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60%) was sent to landfills. Food Waste Prevention […]

Video resources for Pollution Prevention (P2) Week

In a previous post, we noted that September 16-20, 2024 is Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, and highlighted some relevant projects of the ISTC Technical Assistance Program (TAP). To conclude the week, we’ve compiled some video resources that may be of interest, whether you’re unfamiliar with “pollution prevention” or a seasoned practitioner. “Pollution prevention,” also known […]

Composting pumpkins and other ways to green your Halloween

Did you know that IL leads the nation in the production of pumpkins? You may not realize it, but pumpkins are mostly water! A great deal of labor, land, water, and other resources are invested in growing, harvesting, distributing, and processing pumpkins in our state, so if you care about conserving resources, it’s scary to […]