This article from the Patriot Ledger details the responses of several grocery chains to the Massachusetts Food Waste Ban. Stop and Shop, for example, is planning a product recovery center which will generate enough gas to power the chain’s regional distribution warehouse. The value of the ban legislation is underlined by the lack of opposition…
This article from the Berkshire Eagle highlights the effort that the historic Red Lion Inn has made to reduce food waste in their hotel and restaurants. The article includes perspectives from MassDEP Commissioner David Cash, as well as State Representative William ‘Smitty’ Pignatelli. For more information on the food waste ban, visit our Food Waste page for guidance from…
This story from NPR highlights the acceptance of the Massachusetts Food Waste Ban by food waste generators in the state. MassDEP Commissioner David Cash attributes this positive response to early outreach and involvement with those expected to be affected by the ban. The article notes that the National Waste and Recycling Association expected to testify against the legislation,…
This article from the Cape Cod Times takes a look at the ways that Cape Cod businesses are adapting to the food waste ban. The article includes perspectives from one of the two farmers who are licensed to compost on the Cape as well as from a restaurant owner who is using a dehydrator to…
This article from National Geographic highlights Jordan Dairy, the first dairy farm in Massachusetts to install an anaerobic digestion system. The article notes the expectation for increased food demand in the next 50 years; systems like the digester at Jordan Dairy help us to get the most out of the food we already produce. Visit our Food Waste page for guidance from RecyclingWorks Massachusetts…
The RecyclingWorksMA.com website has had over 50,000 visitors in 2014, seeing an increase in traffic in the lead up the the beginning of the food waste ban! Thank you to all our users for your contribution in making our website a successful resource for the citizens of Massachusetts! If you’ve only had experience with one…
NECN featured an excellent story on the food waste ban in Massachusetts. The video features an interview with DEP Commissioner David Cash as well as footage of Compost Windrow Turners in action at Groundscapes Express in Wrentham. Visit our Food Waste page for guidance from RecyclingWorks Massachusetts on the specifics of the ban and resources to help your business comply…
This article from the Berkshire Eagle gives an excellent overview of the many businesses and institutions in the Berkshires who are adapting to the food waste ban with outstanding success. In an especially encouraging case, Berkshire Health Systems found that the food waste diversion program at one of their facilities had saved so much in disposal…
This article from the Worcester Business Journal contains an excellent summary of the goals of the food waste ban in Massachusetts, as well as perspectives from Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett as well as Rick Walton, owner of the Gardner Ale House, a business that has used RecyclingWorks to help them reduce…
State officials visited Groundscape Express in Wrentham to celebrate the start of the food waste ban. This article from the Attleboro Sun Chronicle contains perspectives from the company’s owner as well as MassDEP commissioner David Cash, and details how Groundscape Express uses compsting for fertilizer as well as burms for erosion control. Visit our Food Waste page for guidance from…
To celebrate the beginning of the food waste ban, state officials visited the seventh-generation Barstow Farm in Hadley, which operates an anaerobic digester. This system takes in food waste from the community and processes it into methane, which is used to generate electricity. Check out the article for perspectives from MassDEP commissioner David Cash as…
Officials from the Massachusetts department of Environmental protection visited a Waltham supermarket as part of the start of the Full Harvest Tour, celebrating the beginning of the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban. This article from the Waltham News Tribune details their visit and includes perspectives from Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Maeve Vallely Bartlett…
UMass Lowell celebrated the start of the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban with state officials including DEP Commissioner David Cash, who led by example, taking an active role in the day’s kitchen scrap collection. UMass Lowell made an early commitment to food waste diversion, and began composting a year ago at the behest of a student…
This article from Cape Cod Online takes a look at how businesses on the cape are responding to the food waste ban. In a region like Cape Cod where all waste must be shipped elsewhere, the food waste ban is of special importance in that it will help to reduce the overall amount waste needing to…
This article from the Huffington Post focuses on the ways the food waste ban helps to ensure food security and feed the hungry in Masssachusetts. The food waste ban incentivises donations of unwanted but usable food to Food Rescue Organizations such as those listed on our Food Donation Guide. Note: The article mentions that there are 17,000…
This article from the Berkshire Eagle’s Go Green Column, highlights the upcoming food waste ban beginning Wednesday, October 1st. The article provides some helpful starting tips for those organizations that generate more than one ton of organic waste each week and are subject to the ban.
In this article, BioCycle examined several food waste collectors from three states including Massachusetts and shared tips for efficient organics collection from the hauler’s perspective. Across the board, these haulers are experiencing an uptick in business with one Massachusetts hauler noting that their phone was “ringing off the hook,” as the October 1 start date of…
This article from The Guardian highlights the preparations underway by various stakeholders in Massachusetts to be ready for the upcoming commercial organics waste disposal ban, which goes into effect October 1. The article notes that that most affected businesses have already put food reduction policies into place and are ready to adapt to the ban.
The RecyclingWorks September Newsletter has been released; it includes a link to an article on Crosby’s marketplace, a supermarket that RecyclingWorks helped to set up a composting program. Click here to read a copy of the RecyclingWorks September Newsletter. Email info@recyclingworksma.com if you;d like to be added to the newsletter’s mailing list.
This article from Biocycle.net describes how Crosby’s Marketplace, a Salem-based supermarket chain, has been separating 1.5 tons of food waste each week from three of its six locations, donating edible food to homeless shelters and composting the rest at local farms. The remaining three locations will begin food waste separation on October 1st, and the reduction…
This article and video from Elite Daily highlights the creative ways that French Supermarket chain Intermarche has found to repurpose and market spoiled or unappealing fruits and vegetables. Watch the video to see how discounting ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables became popular with their shoppers and has helped to utilize food that the producers would have otherwise…
This article from Spare Change News provides an excellent overview of one institution’s commitment to reducing their food waste. Boston Medical Center has joined the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in preparation for the upcoming Massachusetts commercial organics waste ban, beginning October 1, 2014. John Fischer, DEP Branch Chief for Commercial Waste Reduction, explains how targeting…
This blogpost from the Union of Concerned Scientists highlights the Federal Government’s recently released Biogas Opportunities Roadmap. This report recognizes the technology’s potential for reduction of waste and production of renewable energy, noting that such systems could potentially power more than 3 million American homes. With our commercial organics disposal ban and biogas energy incentives, Massachusetts…
This article from the Boston Globe highlights UMass Lowell and Signature Breads, two recent additions to the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, a program which encourages participants to reduce their food waste by 5% each year. The article explains how the organizations have increased donation and composting, helping to feed hungry people while producing natural compost fertilizer…
This article from the Boston Globe gives an excellent overview of the current status of preparations for Massachusetts’ commercial organics waste ban. The disposal requirements puts Massachusetts in the forefront of efforts to reduce food waste in the United States. The article highlights several social benefits of the new rules, and notes that the business…
This article from BioCycle describes how legislation like the Commercial Organics Waste ban is helping to spur the development of Anaerobic Digesters in New England. The article highlights Barstow’s Longview Farm in South Hadley, where a recently installed Anaerobic Digester is generating energy from diverted food waste. The farm even uses a by-product of the anaerobic…
Find out how RecyclingWorks helped the Lenox Hotel in Boston prepare for the commercial food waste disposal ban, and learn more about how we can offer your facility free, direct assistance!
This article from Sustainable City Network details the efforts by several Massachusetts towns to begin curbside composting and pickup at residences. In each case, the success of the program has depended on cooperation between community groups, haulers as well as state and local government. Remember that the upcoming Commercial Organics Waste Ban applies only to large…
This article from the Gloucester Times highlights DownRiver Ice Cream of Essex, which is making the move to compost or recycle 100% of the waste it produces. They’re working with the Green Team from Manchester Essex Regional High School to create signage that helps their customers understand what waste to compost and what to recycle.…
This article from High Rise Facilities notes that diverting food waste can help to reduce a hotel’s disposal costs. Please don’t be too alarmed by the title of the post; the Commercial Organics Waste Ban applies to businesses and institutions which produce one ton or more of organic waste each week. Visit our food waste…
This article from Masslive describes how various businesses in Massachusetts are preparing for the upcoming Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban beginning October 1, 2014. The article interviews representatives from Big Y, Martin’s Farm, Hope and Olive, and the Center for Ecotechnology. Interested in learning more about the commercial organics waste ban and best management practices for…
This article from Masslive highlights the work being done by Martin’s Farm, a family-owned Greenfield farm which has been taking in compost for 20 years, helping Franklin County to lead the way in commercial composting. The article gives an especially incisive look at the steps involved in commercial composting, from intake of waste through processing…
This article from MassLive describes the award-winning effort from Big E’s Supermarket to reduce their food waste by implementing a composting and recycling program. This reduced their waste collection frequency to once a month, significantly reducing disposal costs. Inspired? Check out our compliance page to learn how your business can cut its waste disposal costs while improving…
This article from wcvb.com highlights the great work being done by Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a Boston-based food-rescue organization. Grocery stores often have a hard time selling bruised or blemished produce; instead of that unsold food going out with the trash, Lovin’ Spoonfuls collects and distributes it to soup kitchens and other organizations that feed the hungry.…
This article from the Boston Globe describes the citations and in some cases fines issued in the last round of state inspections. State Inspections have been significantly increased recently, and more than 80 companies were issued citations after inspectors found banned material in their waste loads. In the cases of repeat-offenders, fines of up to…
Registration is now available for the upcoming Massachusetts Commercial Food Waste Vendor Fair. Register now to be a part of this exciting event which connects stakeholders from around the state and help your organization prepare for the commercial organics waste ban. Visit our event page to find more details on the specifics of the event…
This article from ecoRI News highlights the growing opportunities and benefits from using anaerobic digestion to manage food waste in Massachusetts. This is one of the many ways for businesses and institutions to comply with the commercial organics waste ban and RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts stands ready to help your business.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) issued a press release on waste ban compliance and enforcement earlier today. Click here to read it at the MassDEP web site. Also, visit our compliance page to learn how RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts can help your business comply with the upcoming commercial organics waste ban.
MassDEP, U.S. EPA Region 1, and RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts present the: Massachusetts Commercial Food Waste Vendor Fair: “Everything you need to divert food waste from your waste stream” Attendees will have a chance to connect with a wide range of vendors, including haulers, compostable product vendors, food donation and rescue organizations, and onsite organic waste…
EcoRI, a website covering envrionmental news for southern New England, has recently published two stories regarding the Massachusetts Food Waste Ban. Reducing Waste Stream Requires a Statewide Effort describes the upcoming Commercial Organics Waste Disposal ban, noting the assistance available to businesses from RecyclingWorks. Check out State’s First Food-Scrap Digester Under Construction for more information…
Scrap Monster, a trade news website for the Scrap Trade industry recently noted the upcoming Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban in an article published on their website. Check out the article to see how they appraise the opportunity for their industry.
This article from Nashoba Publishing goes over the particulars of the upcoming Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban. It underlines the necessity of working with all organic stakeholders to prepare for a smooth transition while highlighting past sucessful innovations in food waste management.
Food Waste as a Climate Strategy Healthier Hospitals Initiative Less Waste Series Webinar, Thursday, February 27, 2014, 2:00-3:00 PM EST Click here to register! Webinar Objectives: Understand food wastes role in methane gas production and role in climate change. Understand how states are taking a closer look at food waste management Learn how one hospital has taken…
In this webinar, the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) was explained and success stories from partners were shared. Whether your school has been composting for years or is just beginning to contemplate a composting program, the information presented may be useful to your program. Click here to view the webinar.
Check out these recent articles about the creative ways organizations around the country are tackling the problem of food waste. Rock and Wrap It Up! and NFL Feed the Hungry With SB48 Food from FiveTowns Patch This article details the effort made by Rock and Wrap It Up and the NFL to recover uneaten prepared…
Have you registered your organization for the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge? The process is short and simple and takes only a few minutes. The Food Recovery Challenge asks participants to reduce as much of their food waste as possible – saving money, helping communities, and protecting the environment. Participants should submit baseline data within 90…
This post from The Conservation Law Foundation’s (CLF) blog notes the recent announcement of final regulations for the Food Waste Disposal Ban in Massachusetts. The article places this effort in the context of the state’s goal to reduce the state’s waste stream waste by 30% by 2020, and includes perspective from a composter who’s experienced…
This article from the Boston Globe describes the effort to save and distribute discarded yet wholesome food to Boston’s food-insecure residents. Much of the time, food that would be discarded by supermarkets and farms is still safe and wholesome to eat; diverting this waste through food rescue organizations is one of the ways businesses can…
This press release from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental protection announces the October 1, 2014 finalized date of the statewide commercial food waste disposal ban. Food Waste makes up 25% of the commonwealth’s waste stream, and the press release highlights different innovative methods for managing that waste. Read how RecyclingWorks can help your business manage organic…
This press release from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection details the anaerobic digesting facility that Stop & Shop plans to build at their distribution facility in Freetown. Though Stop & Shop already diverts unsold food to farms and composters, this new equipment will allow energy to be generated from the unwanted food, taking in up…
The Boston Globe recently published this editorial highlighting various positive social developments to anticipate in 2014. Featured prominently among them is the upcoming Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban. (Scroll down to the seventh paragraph to view this section.) Read our Commercial Organics Waste Ban compliance page to learn more about the upcoming ban and how…
Register now to participate in the EPA’s upcoming webinar discussing success stories from the Food Recovery Challenge, scheduled for Thursday, January 16th at 1:00pm EST. Hear perspectives from the project team that set up the collection infrastructure to compost commercial food waste in the Worcester area. •Center for EcoTechnology(CET), a non-profit environmental organization providing environmental education…
Two recent articles highlight the new regulations passed in New York City with similar requirements to the Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban in Massachusetts. Like our state, New York City will be requiring larger restaurants as well as grocery stores, caterers and other food-related businesses to begin to separate and compost food waste instead of…
Massachusetts Business Recycling Efforts Increase in 2013 Many Businesses and Institutions Already Comply with 2014 Food Waste Disposal Ban This press release describes the efforts RecyclingWorks has made this year to provide support for businesses and institutions affected by the impending 2014 Food Waste Disposal Ban. RecyclingWorks has made contact with food waste generators expected to…
This article from The Economist notes the necessity for large food waste generators to prepare for compliance with the July 2014 advent of the Commercial Organics Material Ban. The article contextualizes the Massachusetts law as part of a trend which began in Europe and is spreading to the United States, particularly in areas where the cost…
This article from GazetteNet.com notes two local efforts to reduce waste, including Big E’s Market, where owner Michael Superson worked with the RecyclingWorks program to implement an award-winning composting program at the supermarket. According to Superson, a deciding factor in the decision to implement the program was an estimate from RecyclingWorks of the amount of waste…
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has begun to work with the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) to help reduce food waste and use the data they collect to help identify areas with the greatest potential for such reduction. This article from LeanPath describes how the NRA sees the reduction of food waste as a way to…
The South Hadley landfill will close next year, part of a trend throughout the country. This article by 22News describes alternatives to landfills such as incinerators, while highlighting the overall necessity to find innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle as the closure of landfills makes disposal more expensive. The article notes the upcoming Commercial Organics Material…
Food donation is the second highest priority on EPA’s food waste hierarchy, after source reduction. Check out the new RecyclingWorks Donate Food page to learn more about food donation programs, how to start one in your place of business, and to find a list of food banks and food rescue organizations in Massachusetts.
Northampton, MA, 11/20/13—Just a year after launching its food waste recycling program, Easthampton’s Big E’s Supermarket (www.bigessupermarket.com) has been recognized by the Springfield MRF Advisory Board as one of the region’s outstanding business recyclers of 2013. Big E’s store manager Michael Superson received the award at a ceremony in Holyoke on November 13, which is also…
As Massachusetts implements the first statewide Commercial Organics Waste Ban in the country, analysts and observers will be monitoring to see how the new legislation impacts commercial food providers and gauge its economic impact on the state. The implementation of new technologies such as Anaerobic Digesters will provide new opportunities for businesses to reduce their…
This year’s America Recycles Day, two Massachusetts colleges were honored by the EPA for their efforts to reduce food waste on campus. UMass Amherst and Clark University were part of only nine national winners of the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in 2013. Through such solutions as student-run composting programs and the use of anaerobic digesters,…
Building Collection Infrastructure for Composting: Success in the greater Worcester, Massachusetts area Join us for a Webinar on January 16th, 2014 Register Here. Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/535827538 The webinar will feature the project team that initiated the collection infrastructure to bring commercial hauling of source separated organics to a…
Retail Dining Operations: Opportunities for Source Reduction and Effective Materials Management Webinar, Thursday, December 12th, 2013 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Join the College & University Recycling Coalition for the last of their 2013 webinar series. Collecting food waste in retail dining operations is challenging but the opportunities for food waste reduction are immense. Join CURC…
Did you miss the last College & University Recycling Coalition webinar on composting food waste on campus? Listen to speakers from Food Recovery Challenge partner Middlebury College in Vermont along with two other great speakers! Presenters -Joe Rasmussen, Ed.D., LEED AP BD+C, Integrated Waste Management Specialist, CalRecycle -Missy Beckwith, Assistant Director for Support Services, Middlebury…
Are you not already a Food Recovery Challenge partner? The Food Recovery Challenge asks participants to reduce as much of their food waste as possible – saving money, helping communities, and protecting the environment. Have you started or plan to start food recovery work? You can now join through the new data platform. It is…
Thursday, December 5th, 2013 – Composting Strategies for Colleges and Universities Webinar, Thursday, December 5, 2013 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM In this Webinar, the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) will be explained and success stories from partners will be shared. Whether your school has been composting for years or is just beginning to contemplate a composting…
Martha’s Vineyard is an island that has to ship it’s waste off to landfills and incinerators on the mainland of Massachusetts, which can get very expensive. A large percentage of that waste consists of compostable materials, like food waste and other organics. Instead of being trucked off the island, these materials could be processed into compost through a…
MSSCOR invites you to attend the first conference call among MSSCOR, John Fischer of the MassDEP; Sarah Cadorette of FoodDay Massachusetts; Heather Billings of RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts, and more! There will be Q&A sessions after each speaker, and open discussions after their presentations. Spread the word, ask pertinent questions, and add your perspective or helpful tip. Friday, Noon – 1 October…
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) recently posted a directory of vendors of small organics-to-energy systems. These systems are of potential interest to generators with feedstocks in the range of 0.5 to 30 tons per day, such as small farms, individual food waste generators, or small community systems.
The RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts program has posted recommended best management practices (BMPs) for source-separated food waste collection at businesses and institutions. These BMPs are intended to serve as a resource for local health officials, as well as provide guidance to businesses and institutions and their haulers. Check out the below web page for more information! …
BioCycle and the American Biogas Council interviewed Kenneth Kimmell, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, about opportunities for renewable energy from anaerobic digestion in Massachusetts. Check out the informative article, published in BioCycle Magazine, here.
The search for compostable plastics that truly decompose is one hurdle many facilities face when establishing composting programs. This article posted in Waste & Recycling News introduces a new database, developed by the Biodegradable Products Institute, that lists 3,300 items certified to disintegrate in commercial facilities.
Commercial Food Waste Ban an Almost Certainty for Massachusetts in July 2014– With the proposed commercial food waste ban taking place in July, 2014, businesses and institutions generating at least one ton of organic waste a week will be required to diverted that material from disposal. Among those businesses that the ban will impact are…
Jordan’s Dairy Farm in Rutland produces much more than milk – their anaerobic digester turns manure and food waste into fertilizer and energy. This media piece from WBUR explains how the digester has revitalized their business, all while diverting 45 tons of food waste per day! Read the article or listen to the original broadcast…
From GreenBiz.com – An article about the value of and means to reduce corporate food waste. Find the original article here. The following steps are recommended. For technical assistance in starting a corporate food waste management program, contact the RecyclingWorks hotline at (888)254-5525, or info@recyclingworksma.com. Assess your food waste and current activities Identify the internal…
Take a look at the RecyclingWorks Newsletter for August! Content includes the commercial food waste ban proposal, follow-up on the WasteWise Forum, news on waste diversion programs at Crosby’s Marketplace, case studies and more. Find the current edition here (link). To receive the monthly newsletter in your inbox, fill out the form below! Sign Up…
The Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog has a new post highlighting the efforts of Massachusetts businesses to divert food waste from landfills. Author Dana Gunder discusses the food waste problem, the proposed Massachusetts commercial food waste ban, and diversion methods including donation and anaerobic digestion. Find the original article here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dgunders/massachusetts_leads_the_way_on.html
Check out this article from the Boston Herald highlighting the proposed Massachusetts commercial food waste ban. Highlights include Clark University, which saves $3000 annually diverting food waste: http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/07/food_waste_law_could_make_dollars_and_sense
Please see the below notice relative to proposed regulation amendments to 310 CMR 19.000, including the proposed commercial organics waste ban. The comment period will run until 5:00 PM on Friday, August 23. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (MassDEP) MassDEP, acting in accordance with M.G.L.…
State Street Corporation added a pre-consumer composting program to supplement their successful recycling program in 2011, and realized a 13% decrease in their overall waste volume! Learn more about their efforts in the case study now published on our sector guidance page for offices! State Street Case Study
Learn about the Boston University Dining Services composting program, which diverted over 850 tons of organic waste in 2011. Find the case study PDF here, or check out our business guidance page for colleges and universities!
Did you know organic matter decomposing in landfills accounts for 16.2 percent of the nation’s emissions of methane? Take a look at this interesting article from the Washington Post reviewing the state of Composting in the D.C. area and nationwide.
Check out our new page providing valuable waste management guidance for colleges and universities.
Included is a case study describing how the University of Massachusetts at Amherst diverted an additional 1200 pounds of food waste per day by expanding their composting program!
An overview of recycling and on-site composting programs at this annual ten-day event.
Learn how the Hilton Garden Inn has implemented commercial composting in the Devens area.
