Organic waste recycling

We assist in government and private efforts to increase organic waste recycling. We can help design, implement, troubleshoot and/or evaluate studies, plans and projects concerning organic waste recycling. CET provides assistance through grant-funded projects (if available) or on a fee-for-service basis. Contact John Majercak for more information.

CET has more than a decade of experience in the composting industry. With grant money from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), we have been able to provide free technical assistance to increase food and waxed corrugated cardboard waste diversion from supermarkets and other large food waste generators.

Food waste diversion is a priority in DEP's Beyond 2000 Solid Waste Master Plan. This Plan establishes the Commonwealth's long-term goals for solid waste management and basic policies for waste reduction, recycling, and disposal for the next decade. Over time, increased diversion of food waste for composting will create business opportunities for composters that can successfully process it.

If you would like to add or expand composting of food and waxed corrugated cardboard at your operation, please take a few moments to download the application.

As of Spring 2006, the initial project resources have been allocated. Applications will be currently be considered on a rolling basis should MA DEP funds become available. Before applying, please contact John for an update on the current availability of this service.

To learn about CET's farm composting project, download our Success Story. (As we were hailed by the EPA!)

CET worked with the City of Northampton and the Town of Amherst on composting.

With funding from MA DEP we helped NoHo and Amherst set up systems of restaurant and school food waste composting. A total of 30 restaurants and five schools in these two towns are composting food waste, non-recyclable paper and waxed cardboard. Total diversion averages over 8.5 tons per week. In addition, there are many area supermarkets and other businesses that are diverting food waste through programs set up in previous efforts.

In Amherst there are 16 restaurants participating in the program, averaging over four tons per week total diversion! Participating haulers plan to add more establishments to the program. Participating businesses are experiencing a 20% cost avoidance in their trash bill due to composting.

In Northampton, there are five schools and 14 restaurants participating in composting, averaging 4.5 tons per week in total diversion. The schools are saving approximately $1,000 annually and six of the restaurants have reduced their trash bill by 20%.

Download CET's Toolkit.

We also successfully completed the Greater Boston Food Waste Recycling Project. The goal of the project was to identify and expand organic waste recycling capacity in eastern Massachusetts, and then to stimulate the diversion of organic wastes into compost and feed production as the capacity increases.

CET has successfully completed Building a market-based system of farm composting of commercial food waste in Western Massachusetts. Project highlights include over 70 business locations diverting approximately 22,000 tons of organic materials to 7 composting farms, saving valuable disposal capacity and helping the environment. Greater Boston Project Info CET and Draper/Lennon Inc., of Concord, NH conducted a project to facilitate and promote recycling of food waste and other organic materials in Boston and eastern Massachusetts. CET received grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency New England Region and the MA Department of Environmental Protection for the effort. To accomplish this, the project identified all of the active compost facilities and other end users for organic materials in eastern Massachusetts. CET and Draper/Lennon then worked with these processors to expand their capacity to handle food wastes in addition to the leaf and yard wastes and other materials that are the foundation of their current operations. Simultaneously, CET and Draper/Lennon worked with generators of recyclable food wastes to encourage them to adopt organic waste recycling as a viable waste management tool. Generators such as supermarkets, food manufacturers, and food distributors are often unaware that they have an alternative to disposal, or that they can save large sums in transportation and disposal fees by sending their wastes to a composter or feed manufacturer instead of a landfill or incinerator.

The project is the result of a partnership among CET, EPA New England, the MA Department of Environmental Protection, WasteCap of MA, BioCycle Magazine and the Chelsea Center for Recycling and Economic Development. In Spring 1999, CET conducted an initial inventory of existing and potential food waste processing capacity in the greater Boston area, including food banks, animal feeding and composting. CET and partners also held a focus group with over 70 industry members to identify needs and recommended next steps to help grow the organics recycling industry in Massachusetts. A new action plan was created out of this initial work. Titled Strategies to Increase Food Waste Recycling in the Greater Boston Area, the action plan outlines the next steps needed to strengthen the infrastructure to increase diversion of food and other commercially generated organic waste materials. Building a Market-based System of Farm Composting of Commercial Food Waste in Western Massachusetts CET has successfully completed a three and one-half year project that created a market-based infrastructure for farm composting of commercial food and other organic waste in western Massachusetts. A final report, composting guidelines and case studies, and composting operational checklist are available on our publications page. During the project, CET served as a liaison among interested businesses/institutions, haulers and farms willing to accept their organic waste. Assistance included locating appropriate participants, soliciting their participation and designing or improving organic waste separation, collection, storage, transportation and processing systems. Some project highlights:

• Over 70 business locations diverted approximately 22,000 tons of organic materials to 7 composting farms, saving valuable disposal capacity and helping the environment. Activity will continue as a regular “way of doing business” in the area without on-going assistance.
• Greenhouse gas emissions caused by waste disposal were reduced by approximately 5700 Metric Tons Carbon Equivalent (MTCE).
• Participating businesses collectively saved tens of thousands of dollars.
• Participating farmers and haulers have diversified their businesses and improved sustainability and profitability.
• Several industry-led efforts are beginning in the area which may expand the amount of diversion taking place in the near future.

In addition, the project has become a nationally recognized model and successfully spurred interest and activity across the country:

• Project information was used in designing related efforts in many areas including Boulder, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; and Sonoma County, California.
• Based on its current success, CET conducted the Greater Boston Food Waste Recycling Project with EPA and DEP funding. The project is designed to build the infrastructure and increase activity in Eastern Massachusetts.
• The report is being distributed nationally as a tool for others to use in replicating the project’s success.

This project was funded by US EPA New England - Climate Change Action Program (CCAP) to reduce greenhouse gases through improved solid waste management.

US Department of Agriculture - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) to advance sustainable agriculture.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection - Recycling Industry Reimbursement Credit Program (RIRC) to increase recycling of food waste.

The Lawson Valentine Foundation

The Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation

The Sudbury Foundation
Previous support from the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture and Rural Development USDA laid the groundwork for this project