by Lorinda Lhotka, AFPC Governing Board, and Greg Spears, ASM Global
Last fall, AFPC started a Food Waste work-group to start looking at ways that we can move the dial on reducing food waste in our state. As part of this work-group, a priority is to start highlighting some of the great models already in place where Alaska businesses are focusing their efforts to reduce their food waste- either by producing less, strategically using leftovers, donating their leftovers to non-profits, or composting. This month we are highlighting the efforts of ASM Global that manages Egan and Dena’ina Centers in Anchorage. Greg Spears, General Manager provided us with information about their efforts.
Greg Spears has worked in various capacities at the Egan and Dena’ina Centers since 1992, and is currently the General Manager. He says that they have always donated excess food to local non-profit community service organizations. Over the years, several agencies, such as the Downtown Soup Kitchen, Bean’s Café, the Covenant House, Kids’ Kitchen, etc. have received their over-production, food not consumed by convention center clients. Sometimes, the amounts are substantial, dozens if not hundreds of meals.
Since the opening of the Dena’ina Center in 2008, the most frequent recipient of the excess food at the convention centers has been the Rescue Mission on Tudor Road. More recently the Anchorage Convention Centers became aware of the need at Bean’s Café from a meeting that Spears had with Bean’s Cafe Program Director, Scott Lingle, where Lingle explained that they serve up to 1,200 meals per day, up from 800 meals per day last year. To assist them in that mission, and to ensure “no food goes to waste” at the convention centers Bean’s Café and the Centers recently reached an agreement with K&L Distributors to place a donated commercial reach-in cooler on the Dena’ina Center loading dock to store food overnight for the non-profits and relieve some of our refrigeration limits constraints. Bean’s Café now has the ability to pick up excess food Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm. Much of the excess food becomes available nights/weekends and they work with the Rescue Mission on those occasions as they have the ability to pick up food in the evenings and on weekends.
Spears states that serving foods from sustainable Alaskan sources has always been a priority for the management of the Egan and Dena’ina Centers. They also have in place significant recycling programs for paper, aluminum, glass, cardboard, and even the oil used in the fryers in Egan and Dena’ina is recycled and has been for decades. The Centers purchase all eco-friendly cleaning products, recycled paper products and do everything they can to keep waste from being deposited in the landfill. Spears emphasizes that the landfill is a limited resource and the tons of waste that the Egan and Dena’ina Centers recycle annually helps to extend its useful life.
Spears recently had a similar conversation to the one he had with Bean’s Café with Alice Butler with Solid Waste Services with the Municipality of Anchorage when the Centers agreed to join their new glass recycling program, and now they now pick up at the Centers weekly. Previously, the Centers were hauling glass to recycle centers on Rosewood Street in Anchorage, and to the Port of Anchorage. Other energy savings initiatives at the convention centers include complete conversion to LED lighting, and just last year, the addition of a solar panel array on the Egan Center, the largest array on any public building in Alaska.
We would love to hear from you about models in your communities. Have a great story that you would like to share of a business or organization that is moving the meter on food waste in Alaska, please contact us so we can track it down.
Photo: Food donation collection during the Alaska School Nutrition Association at the Egan Center. The Egan Center cooks and staff work with the vendors on food safety and the donations - making sure they have hot holding and cold holding if need be.
