Vegas is home to quintessential postmodernist architecture, a bustling gambling scene, and some of America's most vivid night life experiences. But it is also home to one of the most innovative recycling projects in the country. Bob Combs, owner of R.C. Farms, has struck an irresistable and incredibly economical deal with many of Vegas' biggest names. "Last year, five of MGM Resorts’ 11 properties—Bellagio, CityCenter, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and Mirage—sent nearly 7,600 tons of uneaten food" to R.C. Farms where the food waste was then boiled down into feed for the hungry hogs. This cuts down costs on both ends: the resorts eliminate the expense of having garbage hauled away and the farm essentially gets discounted food for its animals.Hunger kills more people than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined, yet nearly 50% of food in the United States is never eaten. Not to mention that disposing of this food waste costs America about one billion dollars per year. Hypothetically speaking, about two billion people could be fed from the U.S.'s food waste alone, an astounding statistic that emphasizes the urgency of food conservation. Instead of buying grain that is a crucial staple of the diet of many people, especially impoverished ones, this farm makes logical use of the otherwise wasted food.
Intrigued by Bob Combs' work? Read more online at http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/may/12/recycling-strips-best-kept-secret/
