Skip to Content

[X] CLOSEMENU

Organics Management: Is foodwaste recycling the way to achieve our goals?

July 28, 2015

Today’s Guest Blog is by Susan Robinson, Director of Public Affairs for Waste Management.

Several weeks ago, I took my first deep dive into the US EPA’s newly released 2013 Facts and Figures report.  The experience offered a wakeup call about the Road to Zero Waste.   While we tend to focus on recycling the bottles, cans and paper collected in our curbside recycling programs, the numbers in the report tell a different story.  We can go all out to recycle these traditional recyclables, and still come up short of our goal with another 62% of the waste stream left to tackle beyond these commodities.  Organics is the single largest material remaining in the waste stream, coming in at 28% (foodwaste plus yardwaste).

We are challenged by foodwaste recycling, in particular – with good reason.  It is hard work - and it’s expensive.  The City of Seattle, with a relatively successful organics recycling program, has some of the highest “waste management” costs in the U.S.   Moreover, Seattle has dedicated 30 years of education to affect behavior change, persuading residents to embrace alternatives to disposal.  Their mild climate and high disposal pricing both play a key role in the city’s successful organics diversion efforts. 

Is it realistic to expect restaurants in the Southern U.S. to recycle foodwaste with the same enthusiasm as those in the Pacific Northwest?   What role will low tipping fees play?  How about the realities of heat and humidity?  Even in Portland, Oregon, with its high waste disposal rates, commercial foodwaste recycling has been a very slow process. 

After listening to speakers at recycling conferences describe the pros and cons of foodwaste recycling, I breathed a sigh of relief during a recent discussion among professionals who focused on the efforts to reduce and manage food upstream - before it becomes food waste.  You see, once food gets to its end-of-life, it is expensive to handle.  In fact, putrescible waste – an appropriately applied term when it comes to food – is one of the reasons that solid waste collection and disposal systems evolved in the first place.  Foodwaste is tough to handle and must be managed correctly to protect human health and the environment.  It is heavy and is generated in uneven quantities and locations, making collection inefficient and expensive.  And many establishments that generate foodwaste experience high staffing turnover –triggering ongoing training costs and quality challenges.

I’ve been working on organics collection and recycling systems for over a decade, and have struggled to come to terms with reasonable expectations for foodwaste recycling.  As I listened to this group of professionals talk, I had an “Aha Moment.” I can see the value of focusing on reducing food waste before it happens.  If we eliminate wasted food upstream, the options for handling a limited amount of foodwaste downstream will seem less daunting. 

Yes – given human nature flexible organics recycling will play an important role in achieving aggressive recycling goals.  Nevertheless, wouldn’t it be better to avoid the expensive economic and social costs associated with this hard-to-handle component of the waste stream by eliminating wasted food higher up in the value chain?


Ms. Robinson is the Director of Public Affairs for Waste Management. She has worked in the environmental industry for 30 years in roles that span the public sector, non-profit, consultancy, and over twenty years in the private sector. Her experience includes global commodity marketing, research and analysis of industry trends, and twenty years managing municipal solid waste and recycling contracts. She currently works with Waste Management’s recycling, innovative technology and fleet teams, supporting the company’s transformation from disposal to a materials management and renewable energy company. She is responsible for the company’s public policy efforts to support this transition.

 

NERC welcomes Guest Blog submissions. To inquire about submitting articles contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager. Disclaimer: Guest blogs represent the opinion of the writers and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.

Comments (0)


Add a Comment





Allowed tags: <b><i><br>Add a new comment: