Massachusetts plan would mandate food waste get turned to fuel, fertilizer or animal feed

[SecularMotion]

AMHERST — From vegetable cuttings to disposable yet biodegradable to-go containers, the University of Massachusetts Amherst sends 1,000 tons of waste each year to a composting farm in Belchertown.

But if a statewide plan to cut the amount of food waste going to landfills and harvest green electricity takes hold, that waste might get digested by microbes and converted to burnable gas and then electricity right on campus, said Ezra Small, the campus sustainability manager.

Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s administration proposed Wednesday a commercial food waste ban to take effect a year from now on July 1, 2014. The ban, which does not need action by the state Legislature according to the state’s website, would require any entity that disposes of one ton of organic waste or more a week to donate or repurpose any usable food and ship the rest to an anaerobic digester facility, a composting operation like the one UMass uses now at the New England Small Farms Institute in Belchertown or to someone who will feed it to livestock.

Residential food waste is not included in the proposed ban but it would apply to supermarkets, restaurants, schools and colleges.

http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2013/07/massachusetts_plan_would_mandate_food_wa.html#incart_more_business

[pinto]

1. Years ago (1960's) we lived ~ a mile from a pig farm. The owner provided homes with "slop cans".

Strictly for kitchen waste. They were metal with a tight fitting lid and big loop handle. Once a week he had a crew pick them up and leave clean ones for the following week. Always thought it was a pretty neat set up. (Northeastern MA)

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Biodegradable material does not belong in landfills

Landfills should be considered the last resort when it comes to waste disposal. Hat tip to the Mass legislature.

[PDJane]

3. Toronto has residential composting.

I live three blocks from Yonge Street, right downtown, in an apartment. We have a green bin at the rear of the building. Food and plant material, cat litter, etc, etc., go into that bin. Small plastic bin on the counter or floor, collect stuff, take it to the rear of the building once per day. It's then picked up, taken to an anaerobic composting facility. It's cut down a lot on garbage. We even have a company that picks up coffee pods and the packaging they come in. Cardboard boxes, papers, magazines, plastic bags, clamshells, pop bottles, tin and aluminum cans, large plastic items like broken laundry baskets, go to blue bins at the back. Batteries, dead electronics, cfl's, etc. are taken to a drop-off once a month by the committee. Drugs are taken back to the drug store, toxic taxi picks up paint and toxic household chemicals, clothes can go to Goodwill or other resale.

It does work.

The city and the building committee are always looking for new ways to recycle things, too. It's a Very Good Thing, in my opinion.

[kestrel91316]

4. Here in Los Angeles everything that goes into the sewer, including what goes

down the garbage disposal, winds up being put into biogas digesters and the biogas used to generate electricity. This has been done here for 60+ years. Nice to see other places are finally getting on board.

Google "hyperion waste treatment" or whatever to see.

[Paper Roses]

5. I would love to see this happen.

Some time ago, I was in our local supermarket when I saw a young man throwing veggies into a grocery cart. There was another cart near him, already full with discarded food. Just out of curiosity, I asked what would happen to this huge pile. He told me that health laws require that they throw it out.

I'm sure it went unto the dumpster with all the other store generated junk.
It is a shame that there has not been something on the books long ago to re-purpose all this organic waste. Even if it was given to a farm, it would be better than throwing it out.
I hope something comes of this proposal. This is a daily thing with supermarkets. Can you imagine how much food is just thrown away without thought to any other use?

[MADem]

6. Lots of supermarkets move stuff to the food banks if it is still edible.

I do think this will help, though, and I applaud the initiative.