Donated not Wasted
Lee County Solid Waste’s second annual “Donated not Wasted” food rescue campaign encourages seasonal residents and visitors to donate unopened pantry items before returning north.
“We were delighted with the participation during our inaugural campaign in 2018,” said Pam Keyes, Lee County Public Utilities Director. “Last year, 3,771 pounds of food was collected over the two weeks enough to provide 3,143 meals to those in need.”
About 70,000 tons, or 13 percent, of the waste stream in Lee County is food, according to a 2016 waste audit. Nationwide, Americans throw out about 30 percent of the available food supply.
To help reduce those numbers, unopened canned or dry goods can be dropped off from Monday, April 8, to Monday, April 22, at any Lee County Library System location or Lee County Recreation Center. Additional collection containers are located at the Six Mile Cypress Slough and the Topaz Court Household Chemical Waste Facility.
Lee County Solid Waste is asking the public to join the effort along with its partners – the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Waste Pro, FOX4, the Lee County Library System and Lee County Parks & Recreation – to help route food that might otherwise end up in the waste stream to the county’s population of people in need.
For more information, visit www.leegov.com/solidwaste or call 239-533-8000.
About Lee County Solid Waste
Lee County Solid Waste seeks to ensure the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Lee County by providing a responsible and economical solid waste management system. The agency, a division of the Lee County Public Utilities Department, has established a track record of success. Including energy recovered from the agency’s Waste To Energy Facility, Lee County is on track to meet Florida’s 75 percent recycling goal by 2020. Lee County Solid Waste plans to continue implementing programs that make recycling, resource recovery and responsible waste management easier and pledges to strive for even more effective and sustainable solutions for the future. Learn more at leegov.com/solidwaste