A recent blog post by Spoiler Alert predicts the top three trends expected to make it easier for businesses to manage food inventory and prevent waste in 2018. ‘Root-to-Stem’ and ‘Nose-to-Tail’ Strategies The first trend is related to the source reduction of food waste, which the EPA ranks as the top priority for reducing the…
A recent Biocycle article describes how new depackaging facilities across Massachusetts are making it easier for businesses to divert packaged food materials from disposal. Packaged foods may be thrown away when they are out-of-date, mislabeled, damaged, or spoiled. To cut down on this avoidable waste, new facilities are being developed to efficiently remove food from…
A recent Waste Dive article discusses the growth of the food recovery marketplace in Massachusetts, including expansion in tons of diverted food waste, quantity of customers served by organics waste haulers, and number of end-sites available for processing food waste. This article was based on a presentation by MassDEP at its Organics Subcommittee meeting held…
In November, the US Environmental Protection Agency recognized 14 Massachusetts entities with 2017 Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) Awards. Food Recovery Challenge participants pledge to prevent and divert wasted food in their operations. Food Recovery Challenge National Award Winners include Massachusetts businesses Signature Breads in Chelsea and Spoiler Alert in Boston. Last year alone, Signature Breads…
On November 9, RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts co-hosted a Food Sustainability Symposium in Easthampton, MA, focusing on effective food waste solutions for businesses and institutions. Symposium attendees learned from their peers about different strategies for cost effectively diverting food scraps and surplus food from…
Pine Island Farm, a large dairy farm in Sheffield, Massachusetts, recently received one of the American Biogas Council 2017 Biogas Industry Awards for its innovative on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD) facility. Pine Island Farm developed the system to help combat common farming industry concerns such as manure management, groundwater protection, and odor control. Anaerobic digestion represents…
A recent WasteDive article describes how Waste Management’s Centralized Organic Recycling (CORe) facility in Boston is diverting food waste from landfills and preparing it for use as a clean energy source. The compact CORe system provides another outlet for businesses and institutions located in densely populated areas that cannot easily support a large composting facility. Currently,…
Mashable’s new series, A Cleaner Future, recently highlighted the food recovery software platform Spoiler Alert in their segment Reducing Food Waste with Technology. Spoiler Alert, a Massachusetts-based organization, helps food service businesses track and donate unsold inventory. Emily Malina, Chief Product Officer, explains how the software syncs with the business inventory lists to show unsold…
In July, BioCycle published a guide to pretreatment of on-site food waste equipment and systems. The article describes three broad categories of equipment: Dehydrators utilize thermal processes to evaporate the liquid present in food waste. Liquefiers use water and enzymes/microbes to reduce the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and create wastewater that is usually discharged to…
A recent Boston Globe article describes how local celebrity chefs and upscale restaurant owners are finding creative ways to reduce food waste. By tracking food loss, utilizing all edible food, and holding employees accountable, these businesses are saving money on purchasing while creating flavorful dishes. Here are a few outstanding examples, showcasing how Massachusetts restaurants…
