COVER STORY
Reduce , Recover and Recycle : Strategies for Food Waste
Some 30 to 40 percent of all food in the United States goes to waste .
By Diane C . Walsh Contributing Editor
Anaerobic Digestion — an innovative process that can convert pre-packaged food waste into renewable energy — caught the attention of participants in a virtual conference hosted by CIANJ to delve into ways to reduce , recover and recycle food waste .
Some 30 to 40 percent of all food in the United States goes to waste , the speakers emphasized . This “ surplus ” food is valued at $ 165 billion a year , according to Coryanne Mansell of the non-profit Center for EcoTechnology , which advises businesses and other institutions on the best practices to curb and eliminate waste .
Donations to community pantries and food banks are an excellent means of recycling unwanted food . Since 38 million people face food insecurity in the United States , the federal Environmental Protection Agency ( USEPA ) lists feeding hungry people very high in the food recovery hierarchy .
Converting excess food into animal feed and composting were also highly recommended , especially since food left to rot in landfills releases harmful greenhouse gases . Effective strategies to reduce food waste are touted for their positive environmental impact and help in combating climate change . One of the newest technologies is anaerobic digestion .
“ Frankly it ’ s magic ,” said Jeff Yorzyk , the director of sustainability at HelloFresh , the world ’ s largest meal kit company that relies on anaerobic digestion to eliminate one of the most vexing parts of its waste stream--pre-packaged food . Without the technology , Yorzyk said it would be a labor-intensive process to unpack the food for disposal .
Instead , the waste from HelloFresh ’ s Newark plant is collected by Waste Management of New Jersey and taken to its nearby Elizabeth facility , where it undergoes the CORe organic recycling process . The CORe process is Waste Management ’ s method of anaerobic digestion . The process is also available at Trenton Renewables , a food waste recycling and renewable energy center in Trenton , which sponsored the CIANJ conference , along with Totemic Sustainable Solutions .
At the Elizabeth plant , the waste is screened to remove contaminants , such as plastics , packaging materials and bones , and then blended into a slurry that has the consistency of cooked oatmeal . This material is then delivered to the Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority waste water treatment plant where its co-digestion increases the production of biogas , most importantly methane . The gas is collected and used as fuel in the RVSA ’ s co-generators .
“ It ’ s a great solution that sits at a commercial level and can support a lot of us ,” said Yorzyk , who called it the “ future of food waste .” HelloFresh has become an industry leader for its initiatives . The global company , which has its national office in New York , received an award from the USEPA for sending less than one percent of its inventory to landfills .
New Jersey businesses that want to adopt better recycling practices can take advantage
Effective strategies to reduce food waste are touted for their positive environmental impact and help in combating climate change .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / jchizhe
Composting helps keep food waste from going to a landfill , and creates rich soil for gardeners .
of a free analysis offered by the Center for EcoTechnology . Mansell said her center works with manufacturers , restaurants , corporate cafeterias , schools , retail grocers and essentially any business that has food on site .
Mansell , who is a strategic service representative at the center , noted that federal laws have been enacted to protect companies from liability in the donation of food waste . New Jersey also enacted additional protection to encourage the process .
She urged the participants in the conference to consider her center a “ matchmaker ,” which can help them put proven strategies into place .
The industry is evolving and providing more opportunities and options all the time . Spoiler Alert , a company born out of MIT in 2015 , is an example of the success that can be achieved by applying modern computer technology to an old-fashioned industry , in this case waste disposal . Their business started in Boston and has grown across the nation .
Chris Masterson , a marketing manager at Spoiler Alert , explained to conference participants that his company offers a digitized process that helps customers liquidate or donate their excess inventory . Spoiler Alert works with HelloFresh , others that deal in food products , as well as health and beauty products with an expiration date . Last year the company helped customers move more than 200 million pounds of food .
Masterson said Campbell ’ s benefited from his company ’ s expertise . The soup manufacturer was able to reduce its reliance on landfills by 50 percent by increasing donations , according to Masterson . His company uses workflow automation and data analysis to help suppliers and buyers .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / jchizhe / laurence soulez
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