RRS recently worked with the Washington, D.C. Department of Public Works to research the feasibility of adding curbside compost collection to the municipality’s existing recycling program and identified several economic and environmental benefits.
High participation could be expected if carts were deployed universally, education materials were provided with the cart, and residents were given financial incentivizes to divert waste via a pay-as-you-throw or rewards program.
Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.
This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.
Congress has passed legislation that supports food waste reduction and composting efforts.
A survey of full-scale food scraps processing facilities in the U.S. provides insights into processing infrastructure for food and compostable paper and plastic packaging.
The country’s recycling and composting rate remains stuck at just over 34 percent, according to the U.S. EPA.
RRS conducted a survey sponsored by the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) to collect information about North American composters that accept food scraps.
The chart below displays the average capacity of these composters by the type of processing system they employ.
Both size and system variance may be linked to feedstocks processed, community needs, local policy and funding available, as well as geographic factors.
Data Corner is compiled monthly by recycling consultancy RRS.
This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.