Wellspring Harvest is a 15,000 square foot hydroponic greenhouse in Springfield, developed by the Wellspring Cooperative Corporation. The greenhouse produces over 200,000 plants per year (including lettuce, greens, and herbs), which are distributed to local grocery stores, healthcare centers, and colleges & universities. Wellspring connected with RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) for assistance initiating an organic waste diversion program.
RecyclingWorks staff visited the facility in September 2019 to observe their existing waste management program and identify opportunities to divert scrap greens, grow plugs, and other organic materials. Because Wellspring has space to process these materials on-site and was motivated to find a beneficial use for their scrap organics, the facility requested RecyclingWorks Compost Site Technical Assistance. Through this assistance, a compost expert contracted through RecyclingWorks helped the facility develop a plan to compost the materials on-site. Wellspring purchased an in-vessel Jora Compost Tumbler, and the finished compost will be used as part of a community gardening program to engage local residents. The compost program is expected to divert 13 tons of material from disposal annually.
In addition to addressing organic waste, Wellspring Cooperative Greenhouse continues to evaluate opportunities to reduce waste in their operations, such as by eliminating plastic packaging in their products. They also worked with the Center for EcoTechnology, the environmental nonprofit that administers RecyclingWorks, to implement energy-efficiency initiatives through the Massachusetts Farm Energy Program.
RecyclingWorks offers no-cost assistance to businesses and institutions in Massachusetts to reduce waste and maximize recycling, reuse, and food recovery opportunities. Our Source Separation Guidance includes best practices for setting up a food scraps diversion program. To speak with a recycling and food waste expert, call our hotline: (888) 254-5525 or email info@recyclingworksma.com.