Downtown Cleveland Composting Exploration

Comment

Comment by Beau Daane on February 17, 2010 at 9:16am

Jessie Jacobson at the Q sent out the sample RFP last week that you can use. Please let me know if you are interested in composting food waste and did not receive the sample RFP. Shoot me an email: bdaane@cuyahogacounty.us and I'll be sure you get it!

Comment by jeri leigh siss on January 27, 2010 at 10:59am

EPA study looks beyond recycling for waste diversion

Jan. 27 -- A new study funded in part by the U.S. EPA, examines city-based composting as a method of waste diversion.
The Center for a Competitive Waste Industry examined composting programs in 121 cities in its study, "Beyond Recycling: Composting Food Scraps and Soiled Paper."
The 79-page report provides best practices for expanding beyond recycling and advice on processing food scraps, soiled paper and yard trimmings. These materials make up half of all household solid waste, according to the study authors, and up to 75% of it can be composted.
More cities are beginning to look at a centralized composting program as part of a residential recycling program. Some cities, like San Francisco, adopted mandatory organics composting along with recycling as an effort to reach Zero Waste and other waste reduction goals.
Other cities adopted the program as a way to protect groundwater from landfill leachate or to avoid high landfill costs.
The study found tipping and processing fees for composting organics was less expensive than landfilling or incineration. Organics processing fees ranged from $15 to $90 per ton, with an average of $44 per ton. Landfilling in those same communities varied from $16 to $115 per ton, with an average of $61 per ton. Three communities in the study reported use of incinerators. Fees for that disposal method, ranged from $45 to $140 per ton, with an average of $92 per ton.
The report discusses collection methods, residential programs and guidelines in place in the cities conducting the composting programs.
Cities included in the study reported increases in overall waste diversion rates and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and groundwater pollution threats.
Copies of the report are available at
http://beyondrecycling.org/pdf_files/FinalReport.pdf

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Amanda Smith-Teutsch at 330-865-6166 or asmith-teutsch@crain.com

Comment by jeri leigh siss on December 1, 2009 at 12:49pm

The EPA food waste management calculator is now available

This tool can be downloaded as an .xls document and seems like it might be really helpful with costing food service and food waste management!

Comment by jeri leigh siss on November 5, 2009 at 12:53pm

I found this article and thought it might be of interest to those in the group that are part of the pilot program...composting is happening at the corporate level all over the country.

Yankees Focus on Sustainability During World Series

Comment by Kris Scouten on October 2, 2009 at 9:52am

Thanks for letting people know Sansai takes Nature Friendly products, Jeri! I just joined this group and appreciate your support. Glad to see others are utilizing earthworms too. They are amazing creatures. They eat pre-consumer food resources and cardboard so I'm obviously interested in getting involved in this group.I too would like to see minutes from the 9/17 meeting. I would very much like to go to the pilot planning meeting in October.

Comment by Di Kuo on September 25, 2009 at 11:54am

Hi, just want to let everyone know that Garick is doing a pilot program to pick up food waste in Cleveland. we are mapping the routes to provide hauling service. contact me at 216-475-8815 for information.

Comment by Jill Ziegler on September 24, 2009 at 10:38am

As most of you know, there was a meeting on 9/17 to further explore composting in Downtown Cleveland. It was very productive, and we are close to conducting a pilot. Some of you have already received a direct invitation to a pilot planning meeting in October. If you were not on that list, and if you are a downtown business or organization that produces compostable food waste and are serious about participating in a pilot, please contact me directly via email. You must be located in the vicinity of The Q, Tower City, E 4th, etc. and meet certain parameters by mid-October to participate (details will be provided).

Comment by jeri leigh siss on September 24, 2009 at 10:10am

Just wanted to let everyone know that Sansai environmental DOES take Nature Friendly Products. Beau mentioned at the meeting that they were not, we did discuss with them and there was a miscommunication some where along the way, but they do and will take Nature Friendly Products. Sansai, along with the other Class II faciliites in the area, are a great resource for food waste compost/diversion.

Comment by Diane Kurtzman on September 24, 2009 at 9:27am

John
Thanks for the information about vermicomposting below - I have three worm bins at home and have had them going for about three years now. I finally started a bin here at work about three weeks ago - Your information will be helpful in sharing with my co-workers who don't quite understand it all yet....

Comment by Doreen Schreiber on September 24, 2009 at 9:17am

I just looked at www.sustainablefoodservice.com and there is good information on there regarding recycling food scraps as animal feed. There are also links to other sites, including government sites, regarding laws and other considerations farmers take into account when using food waste as animal feed.

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