An Auburn Food Scrap Diversion Workshop, hosted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, is set to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, at Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, 125 Manley Road.

The department is hosting a series of Food Scrap Diversion Workshops in collaboration with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the University of Maine Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainable Solutions. These half-day workshops offer a chance to learn about the most up-to-date information on local food waste recycling initiatives and will introduce participants to the concept of local consolidated food scrap collection and management as an alternative to disposal in landfills, according to a news release from the department.

Discussions will focus on developing tools to help communities promote “higher and better uses” for collected organics, along with providing a pathway for successful initiation of food scrap recovery programs. Strategies learned aim to allow communities to reduce overall disposal costs, decrease reliance on disposal in landfills, improve community health and enhance local soil health and vitality.

This workshop is free and open to the public.

To register, call Yvette Meunier, council environmental and community planner, at 207-783-9186, ext. 225

Other workshops are planned in Kennebunk, Cumberland and Caribou. For more information, visit umaine.edu.