It was a cool February day when Cary’s second food waste recycling drop-off site opened in Mills Park.
The opening occurred one year after the Town of Cary announced that the pilot program started at the Citizen’s Convenience Center had been so successful that it was becoming permanent.
The site represented the culmination of years of work between the Town of Cary and nonprofit Toward Zero Waste (TZW) to reduce waste by diverting food scraps from the landfill back into the community.
It started on Facebook.
Residents Dargan Gilmore and Leigh Williams met in an international zero waste group on the site in 2016. Quickly discovering a mutual interest in reducing waste, they started a meetup group with one key difference from similar efforts: it emphasized the journey of moving toward a zero-waste lifestyle instead of trying to do everything at once.
Gilmore had been inspired by Bea Johnson’s book Zero Waste Home, but she found the idea of reducing a family’s trash to an amount fitting into a small jar impractical.
“I was like, ‘That’s incredible. I’ll never be able to do that,’” says Gilmore. “And I read the book, and I was like, ‘Okay, I can make steps toward this.’ And so Leigh and I were very careful when we named the organization. We wanted to make sure we had that toward in it, because it is a journey for everybody.”
Williams and Gilmore started educating community members by holding meetings and tabling at local events, but they quickly found they needed a more organized approach.
They initially started an LLC but soon realized that a nonprofit fit their goals better, so they closed the business and opened the nonprofit in 2020. Since then, they have tabled at numerous events, farmers’ markets, and festivals in the Triangle; taught Zero Waste 101 classes; and held events at local businesses.
Since its inception, TZW has measurably impacted the Triangle.
In 2019, the Waste Characterization Study conducted by the Town of Cary and Wake County found that food waste comprised roughly 27% of the waste produced by single-family residents. In light of this finding, Toward Zero Waste helped Cary establish a food scraps recycling drop-off site at Citizens Convenience Center in 2022, then the Mills Park location in 2024. It also partnered with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and Midtown Farmers Market to establish drop-off sites in Raleigh.
The result was an estimated 343,721 pounds* of food waste that has been diverted from our landfills and an estimated 34,347 pounds* of compost going to community partners like Good Hope Farm.
Nor are food scraps the only waste TZW is diverting. The organization’s Makers’ Group meets every month to sew reusable shopping bags using donated scrap fabrics. The bags are then provided free of charge to local businesses and vendors. The result is 1,055 bags* and the diversion of more than 100 pounds* of fabric.
And those recyclable cups offered in the new Downtown Cary Park? They’re also a result of TZW’s work.
Residents have many options to begin their own journeys toward zero waste.
Gilmore emphasizes the impact each person can have by composting. “I think the composting is huge–getting organic matter out of the landfill, finding a compost bin, learning how to compost in your backyard, or finding compost pickup options–that’s something that can have a huge impact not only on the landfill mass but on climate change.”
Kathleen Liebowitz, Toward Zero Waste’s executive director, has additional recommendations. “Supporting businesses that are doing the right thing for the earth [is key]. Put your money into the businesses that are taking the right steps.”
And also, says Liebowitz, pay attention to the policies of local officials.
“I’ve gotten to know my city council people, and having those relationships has made me feel more part of the community,” she says. “Sign up for their newsletters. See what they’re doing.
“Taking the time to get to know what’s going on is a way to help.”
To learn more about Toward Zero Waste and how to start your journey toward zero waste, go to towardzerowaste.org.
Originally published by 5 West and Midtown Magazine on March 11, 2025