Rancho Corazón (Dum) undertook waste separation training with Alianza Cero Basura in late January 2023 and by June the restaurant was diverting almost 73% of its waste away from the landfill! That is a total of 3,202 kg or 6,685 pounds of waste that is has been diverted into productive uses including quality soil, animal feed and recyclables.

To celebrate this remarkable achievement, Alianza Cero Basura named Chef Isabel Calderon Villafan Agent Zero, and the 30 participating employees of Rancho Corazon were recognized with digital certificates. While Agent Isabel originally participated in the waste separation training because management told her to, waste management soon became her passion and the excellent results achieved by Rancho Corazón are a reflection of the drive and diligence that she brought to the process. As a true agent of change, Agent Isabel now views every aspect of her job through the lens of waste reduction and waste separation. Her team even created an onsite composting operation. Under the direction of Luis Aguilar, Head of Maintenance, nearly 36% of the restaurant’s organic waste now goes to create rich soil for the Rancho Corazón garden.

Congratulations to Agent Zero Isabel and to Rancho Corazon/Dum owner Aurelien Legeay for your extraordinary vision and leadership in this project. Thank you for being leaders in taking our community towards a zero waste future!