SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - At the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County’s South County facility in Goleta, yesterday’s leftovers are finding a new purpose — feeding local farms instead of landfills.
A powerful new industrial composter can process up to 400 pounds of food waste a day. Spoiled produce and uneaten meals are fed into the machine, where heat and motion break them down in hours, transforming scraps into nutrient-rich compost ready for the next growing season.
“This machine’s like a garbage truck on steroids — only it feeds farms, not landfills,” said one Foodbank worker. Another added, “We’re saving tons from the landfill and growing the next harvest instead.”
Volunteers help shovel the finished compost into bins, where it will eventually enrich local farm fields. The project, funded by a $1 million CalRecycle grant, is part of California’s broader effort to reduce greenhouse gases and cut food waste.
“It grinds, mixes, cooks — all on its own. Big machine, big impact,” one worker said.
What once filled dumpsters is now feeding the soil, closing the circle from scraps to harvest — right here in Goleta.
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