Don't Throw Away That Food: Strategies for Record Setting Waste Reduction (Includes 530R98002A Thru 530R98002I)

United States
Environmental. Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
• EPA-530-F-98-002
January 1998 .
Don't Throw
Away That Food
Strategies for Record-Setting
Waste Reduction
Waste
Reduction
The, Waste Reduction Record-Setters project fosters the
development of exceptional waste reduction programs by
documenting successful ones. These programs can be used as models for others
implementing their own programs to reduce garbage. This factsheet packet is one in a series
on Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction. It is oriented toward commercial and
institutional food discard generators, and highlights record-setting food recovery programs.

Food discards: what are they and where do they come from?
Food discards (fud dis-kards):food preparation wastes and uneaten food from households,
commercial establishments, institutions, and. industries.1
Major generators: restaurants, supermarkets, produce stands, school cafeterias, hospitals, food
processors,farmers, hotels, prisons, employee lunch rooms, and community events.
Examples: leftovers, outdated bread, wilted lettuce, surplus canned goods, vegetable peels,
and fruit pits.
Why recover food discards?
ccording to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, if 5% of
consumer, retail, and food service food discards from 1995 were recovered, savings from
landfill costs alone would be about $50 million dollars annually.2 Recovering 5% of losses from
these three sources "would represent the equivalent of a day's food for each of 4 million
people."3 Food discards comprise 6.7% by weight of the total U.S. municipal solid waste stream.
In 1995,14,000,000 tons of food discards were generated. Of this, only 4.1 %, 600,000 tons, was
diverted, or recovered, from the traditional disposal destinations of landfills and incinerators.4
Almost any business can successfully create fewer discards by buying less, and can divert
food discards from landfills. Businesses with record-setting food diversion programs are
recovering 50 to 100% of their food discards and reducing their overall solid waste by 33 to
85%. Often, recovery of food and other organics is just one part of a successful overall
waste reduction program that realizes both environmental and economic benefits. Your
program can allow you to:
•-.,
• Avoid trash collection and disposal fees;
• Provide food to the needy;
• Recover the nutrient value of the food as compost or animal food;
• Help your community meet local and state waste reduction goals;
• Sustain local industries and jobs; and
• Create an improved public image for your business.

-------
Recovery Options
1|fbur choke of recovery methods will
 I depend on many factors.These
Include the quantity and type of food
discards, availability of space for on-site
recovery, existence of haulers and/or
end users for off-site recovery, and
program costs. Food discard recovery
methods include making donations,
processing into animal feed, rendering,
and composting. Off-site methods
involve food discard generators, haulers,
and end users.

Food Donations

    Non-perishable and unspoiled
perishable food can be donated to local
food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters.
Local and national programs frequently
offer free pick-up and provide reusable
containers to donors. To encourage
food donations, all 50 states and the
District of Columbia have enacted
"Good Samaritan" laws that protect
from liability those donors who take
adequate measures to prevent food
spoilage or contamination.

Animal Feed

    Recovering food discards as animal
feed is not new. In many areas hog
farmers have traditionally relied on food
discards to sustain their livestock.
Farmers may provide storage containers
and free or low-cost pick-up service.
Coffee grounds and foods with high salt
content are not usually accepted, as
they can be harmful to livestock.
At least one company is
using technology to
convert food discards into
a high-quality, dry,
pelletized animal feed.
Food discards are also
used to make pet food,

Rendering

    Liquid fats and solid meat products
can be used as raw materials in the
rendering industry, which converts
them into animal food, cosmetics, soap,
and other products. Many companies
will provide storage barrels and free
pick-up service.
Composting
    Composting can be done both on-
and off-site. Available land space as
well as haulers and end users in your
area will help you decide which is
better for you. If you compost on-site,
you will need to consider
carbon/nitrogen ratios. Food scraps
provide most of the nitrogen, while
bulking agents such as newspaper,
cardboard, and wood chips provide
carbon. The moisture and carbon
content of your food discards will
determine how much bulking agent
you should add. Temperature and
aeration are other important factors
that will determine how long it takes
materials to compost. Composting can
take many forms:

•  Unaerated Static Pile Composting:
Organic discards are piled and  mixed
with a bulking material. This method is
best suited for small operations; it
cannot accommodate meat or grease.
                                 ''        •••
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Organics are formed into rows or long
                 Jlteiis:!* SS^iiErcjSsdsSEa' zss
piles and aerated
mechanically. Thj
accommodate I
organics. It can
amounts of m
frequent tu
temperatujEand moisture control.
          *~'"	'	muxi/^ssnsmiiaxat^ii^j^ssistt
                                                 '{.Composting: Composting
                  systems. They
                  ilpiSniBBB
                 jsizes, an
         :or mechanical mixing or
(usuaWreJwormsIbrea!
organic
matetpIsJnto a nigh-value compost
                 is method is faster
             , or n'V
a reproduces high-quality compost.
  •••••(illliiiiiiiiiiisi^
       products or grease cannot be
       '"'""iSRilliisiSssssspsasu	"
          I Usihq this method.
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Food Recovery Tips
Tips From
Record-Setters

• Consult with your local and state
Recycling coordinators .
These solid waste planners may
help locate a market for food discards
dr provide technical advice.
Some agencies award grant
money for innovative projects.
If no end users exist locally, request
that local agencies such as the
department of solid waste or economic
development help develop some.
a Network with other business
members to learn about their experiences
with food recovery programs.
• Research the haulers and end users
in your area.
• Anticipate barriers to a successful
program and how you will overcome
them. Learn from others. Ask
employees what potential problems
they see. They, after all, will be
responsible for running the program.
• Train food service workers well, and
well ahead of program implementation.
« Monitor and periodically re-evaluate
your program.
• Use composting diversion to reduce
your waste hauling and tipping costs.
• Be creative.
the Waste Reduction
^ Record-Setters Project !
A- was developed under a .3
U.S. EPA grant by the Institute for Local 5
Self Reliance (ILSR). For more information::
E on the project, contact ILSR, 2425 18fn .
S=Street, NW, Washin"gton,"DC 2bbb'C"!" 1
Ephone (202) 232-4108, fax (202) 332:- ' |
L 0463, web site (www.ilsr.org). Also visit ';
i^~ ,> -,! < '-^•/.'.«-^9u--^;J_.^-^-.f-c,^. ,,,;.,.. _rr-r.:^,.JT,,-.-«
t the EPA web site (www.epa.gov/osw). ]
Tips for Solid Waste
Planners
• Provide information on:
local food discard end .users
and haulers;
local businesses/institutions
recovering food discards; and
legislation/regulations.
• Lead by example—institute a food
discard recovery program in your office.
• Designate a staff person
encourage organics diversio
• Sponsor tours or demon
successful programs.
m Fund a pilot program.
• Develop a local comppstfi
or other end user, if none exi*
• Work with local haulers i
ers to provide pick-up servjg
discards—maybe inclu
pick-ups along with rl
Resources
:J»>_ General Resources
;-t_ r_ State composting councils and environmental or agriculture
agencies can provide information on composting
^p=--State veterinarians can provide information on diversion to animal feed
Local Chambers of Commerce can provide information on area rendering
**" companies
- - - Local chanties, social service agencies, and local chapters of national charities
can provide information on food donation
L_j7 Yellow Pages or Internet headings such as composting, rendering, and waste
reduction facilities ..'.....'
S**aw««as*

jSpecific Resources
__r BioCyde Journal of Composting & Recycling published by JG Press, Inc. (610)
967-4135 .;'. ;
A-Other EPA fact sheets __... ,.1,,,. . : ...'.•
^Managing Food Scraps as Animal Feed
___ Donating Surplus Food to the Needy
?*~~~ Waste Reduction Tips for Hotels and Gaming Establishments in Indian Country
Reducing Food Waste in Indian Country
- Doing What it Takes to be Waste Wi$e: Food Manufacturing/Processing
Industry
». Available by calling the RCRA Hotline: 1-800-424-9346 or 1-800-553-7672
BAH4S ut^T . • —
- .[/•-
1*^*^"— for the hearing impaired
s= -^~ Compost: Because a Rind is a Terrible Thing to Waste by Jean Bonhotal and
Karen Rollo. Available from: Cornell University Media Services Resource
Center/ 7 Business & Technology Park/ Ithaca, NY 14850,607-255-2080, FAX
607-255-9946, e-mail: Dist_Center@cce.cornell.edu
^A Guide to Commercial Food Composting by Composting Council Research and
— Education Foundation,4424 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 102, Bethesda, MD
20814,301-913-2885
jLA£itizen's Guidejo EoodRecovery by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1996.
.—Available from the USDA Food Recovery Hotline and National Hunger
Clearinghouse by calling 1-800-GLEAN-IT
'^3

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Model Programs — Diversion Strategies and Rates
- ,
FootfbiscSJs""™ Stream"

urganics
' ' ""Ifj-sitefflrnjMsfihg;
(Mfixnl* " ' OT-sltewrmkompostmg; "?"!?*«/ cups, napfiris,tovrels; vegetable
tons per year) Recovered

*KUw
51 (1996) 759
85%
pij; I,"!™,; ^""ItZltil.iii^ pn-she'tjitsjienjcoolangpi)'^ '_ ' _'""

KcardMeftoverT
nent
consumer
On-stte"cornpostmg
I pre- and post-consumer'food
sCTaps and leftovers
iufqf'I'lJ jiTi'ip jrrTfr! ! h !IHI;
80 (1997) ' " 100%
53%
it-consumer discards from
nmerjlfesMurampTicr
Off-site composting; Produce an3 floral trimmings and 870(1
rendering; donations spoils, waxed cardboard; meat and fish
I'. '.'..".: trimmings;canned'goods
•
few ttxk Slate
'DcpartmlSof
nenrooaorep discards and post- 288 (1995

i.waJx3'co'r'r'uoatecr
On-site composting at 30 .Kitchen food prepdiscards, post- 6,200 (FY97
facilities; off-site consumer leftovers including chicken
composting at 17 facilities faones; some sites accept paper towels
••••'»f;-|;| ;-' -• : : -f::, i;;^ caj^b'Saj^.,'^ ",.'. '., 't ' ' ^,"' ',„",,'.,,_," '^„
=== EoiDle, non-salao
duce; me
__ MMia
dace ana
90%
Greatertnan
50% from
— . „(
StopRke
• i^» , ..... «'< ..... " ' ' «;'. ":"' ', i •• '•'• "••'••" ..... •• '»•!' ..... f ...... .= j • '" • "i ''"''• ':ilt ....... •' ''»i ; " ..... 1|| ......... ' ip;s. ' • .~
Off-site composting; Floral and produce trimmings and 3,
rendering " spoils, out-of-date balcery items, oM
"'""se^ soiled paper 'products, food
i. pit I! ;iM.ii/
-------
Record-Setters Reap Benefits
Avoid trash collection and
disposal fees ,
Through composting,
Fletcher Allen Health Care in
Burlington,Verjhont, avoids $86
per ton in landfill tipping fees and
spends only $25 to tip its
compostables off-site,
representing a savings of $61
per ton. ,
With high recovery rates, you
can have your trash dumpsters
picked up less frequently, or use
• smaller dumpsters for the same
pick-up frequency.
Provide food to the needy
The San Francisco Food Bank
collects over 37 toh| of edible
food a month from wholesalers
and distributes it to loral service
agencies. -
vain
Recover the nutrient value of
the food as compost
or animal food \
At New York Department of
Correctional Services facilities,
compost made from landscape
trimmings and cafeteria food
scraps adds rich organic matter to
farms and horticulture projects.
"Closing the loop" can also save
money by giving you access to
cheap soil amendment or *
wholesale organic produce.
Help your community meet
local and state waste
reduction goals
In 1996 the Del Mar
Fairgrounds in Del Mar, California,
diverted 85% of its waste stream,
including more than 38 tons of
food discards. This helped the
town of Del Mar meet diversion
goals set by the 1989 California
Waste Management Law.

Sustain local industries and jobs
Composting employs four
times more people on a per-ton
basis than landfilling.5
The Intervale Foundation, a
non-profit organization in
Vermont, employs five people full
time at its composting site in
Burlington.
Create an improved public
image for your business
Customers at Larry's Markets
in Washington are proud to shop
at a store with a strong
composting program.
tNotes • -
pi; Adapted from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
;- Measuring Recycling: A Guide for
and Local Governments, 1 997,
Karrtor L.S., Lipton K., Manchester A.,
:a;nd Oliveira V., Estimating and
Addressing America's Food Losses.
Ip USDA, 1 997, page 8: Advance release
jpuof same article in FoodReview,Vbl.
fp;20, No. 1 , Jan.-Apr., 1 997.
BEKsiptor LS., Lipton K., Manchester A.,
1 and Oliveira V., 1 997, page 4.
*_Agency, Characterization of Municipal
fe-Sp/W Waste in the United States, 1996
Hi Update, 1997, pp. 28-29.
Jpfi?Jobs Sustained per 100,000 TRY
fife Handled at Various Operations,"
I?;'" Institute for Local Self-Reliance,
C Washington, D.C., 1997.
-------

Recovery Program
some Questions and Answers

'can I create a record-setting
program?
t iliililK $
ft t& more than one way to
QcMfijM mea^jre a successful
n. Successful
»two defining
r induce the amount
be landfill or
aoney in
51al methods.
,,,,iil
|ef programs are

prefiehave waste

udit before
rim I/ill help you
•vhat is in
[aseline
a marker for
iversion rate
ange'fn spending.
. _. _ ;;:,r Depending onlhe
w^ -- -*
composition of yQur waste
the best method of
iay be a
llll^^
I III •
[HWlQllfflgpate nave also
,„,_ , Jiii
iSie
"""iffllmilople
liorejikely

iscards
••I
iigo ,
ave
Mm product.
> employee jot
i
li ml
ililiilii
/ou ar<
'"! .I'll! i
QWill beginning a food
composting program cost much?
A Start-up costs are typically low. For
example, Shop Rite Supermarkets
in New Jersey had only to pay for the
rental of extra dumpsters and for the
additional organics pick-up. If you
choose to compost on-site with special
equipment, costs can be
higher. Your current equipment, plans
for your composting program, and
available space will all determine your
start-up costs.

QHow can I run a cost-effective
program?
A How cost effective your program is
mainly depends on the difference
between your current hauling and
tipping costs and those of the program
you decide to implement. For
composting, fees are usually significantly
less than trash fees. You may also be
able to sell finished compost. Food
banks and Tenderers usually provide free
pick-up, allowing programs to avoid
100% of their trash costs.
Qlf I collect organics for
composting or animal feed, am I
destined to live with vectors and foul
odors?
A No. Most businesses that collect
kitchen and table scraps avoid
these problems by keeping organics in
covered containers. Many refrigerate
containers until pick-up. A Waste
Specialist at Fletcher Allen Health Care,
where containers are picked up daily,
says that they avoid vector and odor
problems by keeping their containers
clean and their organics "moving."

QAre composting and providing
animal feed viable options for
urban businesses?
A Yes. Commercial composting
facilities in or near cities will take
your food discards. Farmers are close
enough to many urban areas that they
will pick up from your business.
Wholesalers and retailers throughout
San Francisco participate in a food
discard recovery program which
includes providing food for cattle.

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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-002a
June 1998
Del Mar Fairgrounds
Del Mar, California
75% Recovery of Food Discards
In 1996 Del Mar Fairgrounds, a 375-acre site, diverted 38 tons, or
approximately 75% of its food discards from landfill. The fairgrounds
achieved this through a comprehensive waste reduction program which includes:
off-site composting of food from its annual 20-day fair (1996 attendance 1,018,659);
vermicomposting of food from its Satellite Wagering Facility; and sending used cooking oil
to a rendering company.
Program Description

Del Mar Fairgrounds' efforts to get to "zero
waste or darn close"were partially spurred
by a 1989 California Waste Management Law
requiring 50% diversion of solid waste from
landfills. Most of the fairgrounds'
compostables come from vendors at the
annual fair who are contractually required to
participate in the waste reduction program.
This includes using paper products instead
of polystyrene and recycling cardboard
and beverage containers. Fairgrounds
staff may fine vendors for non-
compliance.
For off-site composting, Del Mar
staff provide food vendors with unlined,
covered 90-gallon plastic carts to collect
food discards. Staff daily haul the
containers on flat-bed trucks to Solana
Recyclers, a local composting company
with whom the fairgrounds has had a
long-term relationship. Solana
designates a spot next to a partially
completed windrow where Del Mar
staff unload compostables. Solana
staff then cover new material with
partially completed compost. This
acts as a biofilter to keep odor to
a minimum. Solana operates four
sites on three farms; finished
compost is used as fertilizer on
the fields. Solana can also accept paper
products, so paper contamination is not a
problem. Fairgrounds staff pull other
contaminants out of the food discard
containers; occasionally Solana staff need to
remove some additional contaminants.
At the Satellite Wagering Facility, patrons
gather to bet on horse races which they
watch on satellite television. From mid-
September through mid-July, approximately
2,500 people per day, six days a week attend.
Attendance can be as high as 5,000 for the
Kentucky Derby and other big races.
Since 1997, fruit and vegetable scraps
from the facility's kitchen have been
vermicomposted on the racetrack's infield
farm. Vermicomposting is done by eisneola
recessions Coordinator
Jpel Mar Fairgrounds
rj?2nd District Agricultural Association
^Concessions Department
iP.O. Box 2668
•Pgl Mar,CA 92014
" 8 fax:(619)792-4236
impost Program Manager
Ipjjolana Recyclers
*"*- 13/N. 0 Cammo Real
gJrjcinitas,CA 92024
760) 436-7986
:J
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fefWfl worms in a wood framed box,
which sits directly on the ground. Once
collected from the wagering facility,
which can provide an almost year-
round supply of worm food, scraps
sit for a few days in a container.
Staff then feed this partially
decomposed food to the worms.
Fairgrounds staff feed and water
the worms once a day. A water dripline
for use during dry periods runs through
the box. The box is covered with
cardboard and a shade cloth. The
finished worm compost, or castings, is
used as fertilizer on the fairgrounds.
From January through August 1997,
over 3 tons of food discards were
vermicomposted.
Cooking oil is collected for
rendering. Darling International, a
rendering company, provides covered
barrels for the oil and collects them
from the grounds, at no cost, as needed.
Vendor participation in this effort is also
contractually required.
In total in 1996, the fairgrounds
recycled, including composted, 5,294
tons of materials; it sent 929 tons of
trash to the landfill.
Costs/Benefits
The fairgrounds did not buy any new
equipment for the off-site
composting program and had no start-
up costs.
Start-up costs for vermicomposting
were under $500, including the cost of
25 pounds of worms and collection
containers. Soon fairgrounds staff will
need to build an additional worm box.
Year-round recycling, including
composting, for the fairgrounds and
wagering facility cost about $70,000 in
labor, excluding labor for horse races.
Transportation costs $540 per year. The
fairgrounds currently pays $40-47 per
ton for tipping trash, although costs
have been as high as $70 per ton.
Compost site tipping fees are $17 per
ton. In 1996, total composting costs,
including labor and transportation,
were approximately $24 per ton.
In 1996 the fairgrounds saved over
$232,900 in landfill costs through its
waste reduction program. It earned
over $15,000 in revenue through
aluminum, glass, and cardboard
recycling.
Del Mar staff have the satisfaction
of running an environmentally
responsible fair.

Tips for Replication
• Mandate participation by all
vendors and staff.
• Develop good working
relationships with an established
company.
Mm
^m«^^^^^^~
5. Sector
^- Attendance 1996
Program Summary, 1 996
j >, ii
Fairgrounds
1 ,759,659 Fair and Satellite Wagering
I!
i *
•1
•to *« , 1 1 1*1 ^ ,* n i
I Start date
•pp* *jii . _i n, I .
"Dedicated Employees*
pi Method
!* Materials collected
at.
• ii
j Part of comprehensive waste
P"wr^!rts»?ro9ran?? ,'
Jotal waste generated (TRY)
pir, / H n'l • I t d ' Ijit
|(M ., J|J1 M'l.lli ill h.i L | . r i
i_ . - ' . - .
f^ Food discards generated (TRY)
Facility (estimated)
fig^»"^ '
2 piusJ"2 "half-time employees during the fair
Off-site windrow composting; on-site
, verjuicpmposting; rendering
Pre-consumer discards, paper plates, cups,
r napkins, paper towels; vegetable and
.
5T
IS
z.
1 3
23
1 w
il
f M
Yes
6,223 tons: 5,294 tons recycled,
* '' J including composted; 929 tons
"'"'' l lahdfilled
"!
H Q.
f W
™ 3)
1 "'
*s
51 terns (estimated)
"Food discards recovered (TPY) 38 tons
, Food discards recovered (%) 75% (estimated)
i(T,o^al waste recovered (%) , < 85%
ICOSTS;
Average composting costs $24 per ton
5 (hauling and tipping fees)
JFAverage avoicfed landfill tipping 'fee' $40-47uper ton
PUP H^pll'f r ^H » | I »HH ^ F!B!||; „;!,.'i-a-H!,!!! [ ll.gaSllilllSIIIIMIftS.ITirSJW:, ill I:;: ,!,lll; „ ",ll,li' !;
\- Net savings $ 17-23 per ton
1
* A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
TPY = tons per year
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-002b
June 1998
Fletcher Allen Health Care
Burlington, Vermont
90% Recovery of Preconsumer Food Discards
The Medical Center Hospital of Vermont (MCHV) Campus of Fletcher
Allen Health Care delivers approximately 90% of its food preparation
scraps and steam table leftovers to an off-site composting facility. The hospital also
donates produce to a food bank and sends old grease to a rendering facility. Its food discard
recovery program allows Fletcher Allen to save approximately $1,400 per year in landfill
hauling and tipping fees and to support a local farm.
Program Description

Kitchen staff at the MCHV Campus of
Fletcher Allen Health Care prepare 4,000
meals a day for patients and cafeteria patrons
at the 500-bed facility. Kitchen staff place
food preparation discards and leftovers from
cafeteria steam tables into 64-gallon toters
every Monday through Friday. Leftovers
from plates are not collected because
separating out post-consumer compostables
from individual patient rooms is difficult,
and because staff need to be extra careful
about keeping sanitary conditions in this
hospital setting.
Hospital housekeeping staff bring
full toters to an organic farm run by the
Intervale Foundation where discards are
windrow composted. Intervale is a
non-profit organization that runs many
programs including the Intervale
Composting Project, a partnership
between Intervale and the Chittenden
(VT) Solid Waste District, with
Intervale the managing partner. The
project accepts food scraps from
hundreds of large and small
businesses in addition to horse
manure from a farm, leaves, and
yard trimmings. Because the
project is located near residential
communities. Intervale staff only
turn windrows when the wind is blowing away
from more populated areas. The material takes
about 10 months to compost. It is then
screened to remove large pieces and used on
Intervale farms. It is also sold to area businesses
and gardeners and through mail order.
During the year it took Intervale to
receive a permit to accept commercial
discards, hospital staff were trained in
separation of compostable items as well as in
proper storage and handling procedures.
Staff were already separating out recyclables
to send to the hospital's recycling facility
located in a nearby town. Separating food
discards was not a major change in their daily
routine. All new staff are trained in separating
Contacts:
^ r-
ivjr.onrnental Health
Coordinator
fice of Community Health Improvement
*"9etcher Allen Health Care
jjgommuntty Health Improvement
HJHC Campus, Arnold 4410
n,VT 05401
656-2399 fax:(802)656-5985
hshaner@aolcom
BAjasteTeam Leader
uBetcher Allen Health Care
WTCojchester Avenue
rlmgton,W 05401
|C8Q2) 656^4886 fax (802) 656-2790
J
-------
recytlables, including compostables.
The hospital housekeeping staff's
waste team makes daily trips to the
recycling facility in a 19-foot box truck;
trips to the Intervale farm, about 1 mile
off the route, were added when
Fletcher Allen began composting. The
truck is standard dock height, making it
easy for staff to wheel heavy
toters on and off. After
emptying toters, the waste
team disinfects them at the
recycling facility with a hospital
grade disinfectant. Fletcher. Allen
has had no odor or vector
problems. The hospital's Waste
Specialist attributes this to "keeping
our compost moving," and to cleaning
the toters daily.
Kitchen staff collect grease in
containers, which are emptied into a
ISO-gallon tank. Baker Commodities, a
rendering company, picks up the tank
at no cost to Fletcher Allen, and sends
it to one of its facilities for processing.
The hospital donates fruit and
vegetables to a local food bank.

Costs/Benefits
Start-up costs were minimal. In 1997,
Fletcher Allen pays per-ton tip fees
of $25 at the compost facility and $86
at the landfill plus a $16 hauling charge
for both recovered food discards and
trash.
Fletcher Allen buys $1,000 of
produce wholesale per month from the
farm, allowing patients to eat locally
grown, pesticide-free produce. Once a
week, employees can buy organically
grown produce from a farm cart
brought to the hospital.
The program provides good
public relations in the community and
fits in with the hospital's waste
reduction policy. As one of 6,000
hospitals in the United States, which in
total produce one to two percent of
the country's solid waste, Fletcher
Allen Health Care staff believe
composting to be part of the
hospital's mission to provide for the
health of the community.
Tips for Replication

• Know what's going on at your
facility before you begin any program.
Calculate your baseline operation in
tons and costs. If you don't measure
your success, the program will be
invisible.
• Look for existing infrastructure or
processes within the system on which
to piggyback your program. This will
make program costs small add-ons
rather than whole new costs.
• Train food service workers well,
and well ahead of program
implementation.
• Place signs on containers.
• Assign program responsibility to
somebody. To ensure program success,
one person needs to oversee it.
i
Program Summary, 1997
T/. T .......... ,,:j,,| ..... ,„„„,,, '-"'»; ^ ^pSl,. ^|^J » ^|i" , !,
Sector
ll gyefageTiumber of meals prepared 4,000 meals per day "
f^Start'date ; ,.,„,„,,,, jl,^,^ ^ t (ii, , ;jiii
!*:, Dedicated Employees* -•--— ""0.5™ " -—-• — "—
• • - Methods
SfF-site windrow composting; rendering;
r '= ' 1 i' i ' ;j '; '™"S (S
-"• -•*•-• §•

' ............. '
!.! =:
•43
"r:"",Materials coljected." '_ _ k§chen,scraps; cooking oil; precbnsumer ' : t?
Part of comprehensive waste

eduction program?
"""" " ' ' " """" "•¥
=;sM!ra"n?;':s^s'lES^xr.=™.nila;'"
Total,waste recovered' ftPY)
33%lestirnated)
sTotalwastere covered |%|
COSTS:
sigBRiii^
^ye^gecbinpostc'osiisThauling 541 per ton
and tipping fees)
I Average avoided landfill hauling $ 102 per ton
v. and tipping fees
Net savings $61 per ton

* A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
TPY = tons per year
""'i
t.

-•-i
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-002C
June 1998
Frost Valley YMCA
Clary ville, New York
100% Recovery of Food Discards
Using a static aerobic composting system, this 6,000-acre residential
educational and recreational facility in the Catskill Mountains
composts 100% of the food discards from its kitchen and dining room. From 1990,
when Frost Valley began its comprehensive waste reduction program, to 1997, the facility
reduced its total solid waste by 53% (by weight). Through food recovery, Frost Valley now
realizes a net savings of $5,200 annually and provides a unique educational opportunity to
thousands of visitors per year.
Program Description

Frost Valley runs environmental education
programs and a summer camp, as well as
hosts conferences throughout the year. About
30,000 people per year stay at this facility for
periods of one to seven nights. During the
summer when camp is in session, the kitchen
serves 800 people a total of approximately
2,400 meals daily.
In the late 1980s, as waste disposal
costs steadily rose, Frost Valley sought
alternatives to landfilling its waste.
When a waste assessment found food
to be the greatest contributor to the
waste stream, Frost Valley decided to
implement a composting program.
Kitchen staff put all food preparation
scraps, meat, bones, and paper towels
in unlined 30-gallon plastic cans in the
kitchen. Guests deposit their leftovers
in an unlined can in the dining room.
Staff stationed in the dining room
during meals educate guests and
help them with food recovery
procedures.
Staff bring filled cans to a
refrigerated room adjacent to the
dining hall. When they have
collected approximately 30 cans,
they empty the cans into a
Knight standard feed mixer, which holds up to
6 tons of material. Staff wash cans after each
use. During the summer with camp in session,
it takes 3-4 days to amass one mixer load of
material; during the fall and winter it takes 2
to 2 1/2 weeks.
In addition to food, Frost Valley YMCA
composts anything organic, including yard
trimmings and lumber. Large items such as
lumber are put in a hydraulic grinder and
shredded before being added to the mixer.
Staff weigh food and other material going
into the mixer and then add an equal amount
of wood chips as a bulking agent. The wood
chips add carbon, creating a proper
carbon/nitrogen ratio. After mixing, materials
are piled in a holding bay in the facility's
Resource Management Center. Wood chips
piled around six-inch PVC perforated pipes
line the bottom of the bay. On top of that,
staff layer the mixer contents and wood chips.
ontact:
||\sj,pgiate Executive Director for Programs
^jpstVajleyYMCA
JOOO Frost Valley Road
lSaryviHe,NY 12725
*" pi 41985-2291
CiT4) 985-0056
-------
Fans attached to the pipes cool the
piles and add oxygen.
Materials stay in these piles for
approximately 13 weeks until the
volume, moisture, and temperature
levels have all dropped. Staff then use a
front-end loader to put material in a
modified trommel grain
separator, which
separates out larger
ft material that has not
completely broken down.
Material that has gone through
the separator is windrow
composted for 13-15 weeks.
Frost Valley has no contamination
or odor problems. Wood chips control
odor, and because the composter and
bays are Inside, there are no vector
problems.

Costs/Benefits
Frost Valley raised $250,000 for
composting equipment and site,
educational facilities and equipment,
and development before beginning the
project One of the greatest program
costs was building the attached
classroom, greenhouse, and gardens
used to share the program with the
thousands of students and families that
visit Frost Valley every year. Other costs
associated with the program include
electricity, fuel, and miscellaneous
operating costs. This totaled
approximately $500 in FY97.
In 1997, as a result of food
recovery, Frost Valley avoided
approximately $9,700 in waste disposal
costs. It also derives revenue from the
sale of recycled materials such as
cardboard. Since implementation of its
waste reduction program, including
composting, Frost Valley has reduced
the number of trips to the landfill to
empty the dumpsterfrom 16 to 10 per
year. In addition, composting is
continuously used as an educational
program. The educational value of this
program is hard to measure in dollars.
Because it draws visitors to the facility, it
has been very successful in generating
additional dollars for other
environmentally related projects on the
property such as composting toilets
and wood chip technology for heating
buildings. In addition, as guests learn
more about the project and its benefits,
they become more interested and
invested in composting as a method of
handling food discards.
Landscaping projects and an on-
site green house and organic garden
demonstrate uses of finished compost.

Tips for Replication
• Make it easy for guests to
understand your program and its value.
Although it initially cost more to build
the classroom, this educational space is
an important component of
composting at Frost Valley.
Program Summary, 1997
p,fl
I—Sector' 7' " I 7!7' 7 Residential education facility
i Number of meals per year 485,666 (estimated)
^ Start date " 1990 >£
'°:r: : ; ' , *::. ;; ::: .: *: ; ::;:;H
jgif piteriais.coiiected' [ i ' Bi [:r '" Pre- and post-consumer food discards; yard ^' "^
a±as:>^^=±a^plpn^4l^USi%UMiU_Sn£mMvOT4mmMn4iBp^H4' trirniTlinQS/ lumber ; -r
ilr1' f '"f! r"!!': rMS' iB'^l'nCT'r'fl/S, 15! I.'" "Ift.! n.'Bii'S--'S!W v";,,1''.' • '.i. .j.,1 v, j r u _, ;,,, ., i_^ ••;;, .;';_|Li.;, a ^-
' '' -"'""plreiiJensijye waste'" " 7^? " "" " " 7 """""""""*%
ar'S.^''^'.^^'';^"".!!!!1'"'"'?TT'T'W'I/XV".:''"!"^^^ tT'RTOTiW^:^' '""i rir', ,;,";IF;?'^' W'1,^'. f'ifljfi1' 'vh!'J i "^ ">":r; '' .^ii'W-M i'r" 'IMv"'rH* i'W!1,3^! ~
iuction program? ; 3
JI'Tofal wastegeneraiteci1'"'"-"""'"-"-'-• fgo'Ttons'testirriated)' ''' ' ' '"'""'
gjg>>to •--^--|v^——gj
' ' "'"g:
- t:tl,:i rt:^^^ffiij!|| ~
IKIIlBiiiaiWflSf^fHjiilflll^BB ii*wk*« %fi Wip i^i ^ flHififc 1^:7,1; ,*^K,' 'ji;yi*': 'I»HI- ,: ;^i ff'hSff^!"*»KH^
I Food and other organic 80 tons (estimated)
kl?31scards recovered (TP/) ' T ' ' ' * M r '"" • '"
I Food discards recovered (%)
ifotal waste recovered! (TPY)*
r1/ L- ? T 1

i COSTS:
100%
100 tons (estimated)"
i
111 Average avoided landfill hauling $121 per ton
SSff^Ufd,tipping fee
•p«4Bn4iiiiipAiiuflHifeii niiHiiikim 141 mill i KM iMHiHi MMManuin i^n Mb UM«I^ l»d fi!
BE Net, savings** $65 per ton
*S,»pi«
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-53Q-F-98-002d
June 1998
Green Workplace
Government of Ontario
70% Recovery of Food Discards
In 1991, the Government of Ontario, Canada, created the Green
Workplace Program (GWP). The GWP facilitates waste reduction, resource
conservation, and environmentally responsible purchasing in provincial facilities. An
integral part of the GWP's waste reduction programs, composting diverted approximately
1,500 metric tons (1,650 US. tons) of food discards from landfills in FY96. From all its
composting programs combined (in-vessel, on-site, and off-site), the Government of Ontario
avoided C$ 150,000 in trash disposal costs in FY96. Of this avoided cost, C$8,580 was from
its in-vessel program.
Program Description .

When audits showed that food and wet
waste constituted up to 70% of the
waste stream of institutional facilities, the
GWP began nine projects aimed at
developing composting expertise and
demonstrating on-site composting
systems. These sites employ a variety of
compost methods, including windrow,
aerated static pile, and large scale
vermiculture. In total, the sites handle
225 kg (496 Ibs.) to 2,750 kg (6,064 Ibs.)
of food and other organic material each
week. Based on the success of these first
projects, GWP has expanded
composting to 27 government facilities.
The Ontario Government set up a
Greening Demonstration Fund to
purchase and test environmental
technologies. Through this fund,
GWP purchased an in-vessel
composting unit made by Wright
Environmental Inc., an Ontario
company. Located on the grounds
of the Ontario Science Center, this
in-vessel system accepts food
discards (including dairy, meat,
and fish) from seven different government
facilities. A special building, accessible to
visitors, houses the composter.
Diners in four correctional facilities and
three government office buildings and
restaurants put their food discards into "food
only" containers. Kitchen staff refrigerate this
food, along with food preparation scraps in
specially marked 65-gallon containers. On
semi-weekly collection days, kitchen staff
wheel containers to the loading dock for pick-
up. In a unique arrangement, staff and clients
from a local detention center collect and
transport the discards to the composter.
At the in-vessel site, detention center
clients add food discards and bulking agent
(such as wood chips and paper towels) to the
mixer in appropriate proportions. Material
spends 24 to 30 days moving through the
Erhe Green Workplace Program
po RealtyCorporation
iay Street, 15th floor
Plbronto, Ontario M5G 2E5, Canada
585-7541
-------
vessel. It is then screened and stored in
an on-site container which, when full, is
taken and emptied at a municipal
windrow site. Material is windrowed
and cured for three to four weeks.
When the project began, staff from
Wright Environmental trained Ministry
of Correctional Services employees to
run the composting machine. They also
trained detention center clients in
proper handling and transportation
procedures. GWP staff provide training
to kitchen and other building
employees on how to prepare food
discards for composting.
The composter is also being used
to test the viability of starting
residential and commercial food discard
collection programs.
Costs/Benefits
Note: all cost figures are in Canadian
dollars. All tons are metric tons.
The machine cost $ 180,000, and costs
$50 per ton to run. In FY96,
transportation to the Ontario Science
Center cost approximately $49 per ton;
landfill hauling and
tipping costs were
$138 per ton. In
FY96,the in-vessel unit
composted 220 tons of food
discards, avoiding $8,580 in waste
disposal costs.
Based on landfill costs and
participating facilities at the time of
purchase in 1992, GWP projected a 4.6-
year pay-back period on the composter.
Since 1992, both transportation and
landfill costs have gone up, with
transportation costs increasing more
than landfill costs. In addition, in early
1997, a facility that had contributed 2
tons per day to the compost stream
stopped preparing food on-site and
discontinued participation in the
program. In late 1997, however, another
facility will join, adding 4-10 tons per
week. In fall 1997, GWP is predicting a
6-year pay-back period. As more
material is diverted from landfills and
composted, the in-vessel unit becomes
more cost-effective.
The Toronto Parks Department
saves money by using compost instead
of buying soil, peat moss, mulch and
fertilizer to maintain lawns and gardens.
Tips for Replication
• Know how much and what type of
food discards are generated at your
facility. Determine your current food
discard collection and disposal costs.
• Calculate how much the preferred
composting system will cost (aim for a
pay-back period of five years or less).
• Ensure that you have sufficient
budget to cover system purchase and
maintenance.
• Consider accepting food discards
from many sites to increase program
cost-effectiveness.
• Train staff to use the composting
method correctly.
• Publicize your program; publish
results.
In-Vessel Composter Program Summary, FY96
I; :!'ri, 'i'i'T-ilii-i-iii jf^f-m-pS iiii-B.^
|S; Sector i Spvernment (7 .buildmcfs)
|D£djcatied--empJpyees*
<0.25
Jn-vesset (continuous flow) and windrow
~~~
iil'Materiais'coirected ....... " ....... ...... " Fruit and vegetable trimmings, plate .............
fclidil ...... ........ ,:{;,{ ......... i!j!:,:,|i;,,::i: ..... i ...... i;!; ...... :|ii::is3i^^ ...... jfc»>duitittu£uuJaUtt&.idaitai:Alifc
" ...... ............................ [[[ ...... .................... - ...... " ................... - ............................... ..... ........... t-jt^_ ..... -irdairy products, fish, meat, bones
„ reduction program? Yes
fc?"1 5f i; V^s i1 .», ' ;^ 'I',-1" 1^, .(Sx,?1 aviir.*T'»,S''waT^aBa;n^*i»i«
" Total food discards generated (TPY) 3 1 4 metric tons (345 O.S. tons)
RESULTS:
ood discards recovered TPY
4ICM£fc
od discards recovered (%)
220 metric tons (242 U.S.tons)
miHUmmiiumBtmtuiwwiwll^'&iifitik
fn
. . . .
70% from participating sites
«™'-»«™»
- Average composting costs** $99 per metric ton
= Average avoided landfill hauling $138 per metric ton
••• and tipping fees
-- Net savings
•aiffi'ifi-insiSssiasseasKeBaB1' ajr
$39 per metric ton

Tons are metric tons. 1 metric ton = 1.1 U.S.tons. Cost figures are in Canadian dollars.
* A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the composting program.
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W) •
EPA-530-F-98-002e
June 1998
Larry's Markets
Seattle, Washington
90% Recovery of Food and Floral Discards
Larry's Markets recovers approximately 870 tons oforganics annually
through its off-site composting and rendering programs. Stores also donate
canned goods to local charities. The chain realizes a net savings of $40-$55 per ton of
material recovered (about $41,000 per year).
Program Description

In 1991, the head of the Environmental
Affairs Program at this Seattle-based
grocery chain performed an audit and found
organics to be the largest part by volume of
its waste stream. In order to reduce costs
and expand its efforts towards total
environmental responsibility, Larry's Markets
began using energy-efficient lighting and
heating and cooling systems, donating
canned goods, and recycling materials
including-food and floral discards for
composting.
As part of Larry's Markets'waste
reduction efforts, a project team
including management from all five
stores worked to create a food recovery
program that would fit into employee
daily activities. Recycling, including
composting, is now part of every
employee's job description. In the
produce department, staff put
unsaleable produce and trimmings
in unlined plastic tubs, which they
wash periodically. The tubs sit on
the bottom level of the cart staff
use to stock produce. When tubs
are full, staff put them on a
central cart which holds eight
tubs. They then bring full
central carts outside and dump
them into 1 1/2-cubic-yard
containers. These containers used to serve
as garbage dumpsters; now stores keep their
garbage in compactors until it is picked up,
less than once a week. Previously, garbage
had been picked up twice a week.
At the beginning, hauling compostables
from stores was problematic. The hauling
company experimented with various trucks
and containers, but due to the weight of wet
organics, trucks often reached their hauling
weight limit before they had been to every
store. This problem was solved by splitting
the pick-up route between two trucks. In
1995, Larry's Markets contracted with two
additional companies that haul organics and
run composting sites. These companies pick
up from stores near their sites. With three
haulers picking up compostables, no hauler
has a problem with weight limits. The
discards are composted with yard trimmings,
soil, and other organics to produce topsoil.
Closing the loop, Larry's Markets uses the
topsoil in its landscaping.
Contact:
Environmental Affairs, Planning and
Information Services
Larry's Markets
.99 120th Street, NE
B(?Hevue,WA 98005
[206)453-5031 ext.403
-------
Odors in the summer were a
problem at first until the stores moved
to more frequent pick-up of their
compostables. Now, they are picked
up two or three times a week from
each store. Larry's Markets has had no
vector problems.
The chain sends meat and fish
bones, fat and skin to a rendering
facility. Staff in the meat and fish
departments store trimmings in tubs in
a AQ*F cooler. Once a week Darling
Delaware Company empties these tubs.
Depending on the current market,
Larry's Markets pays either nothing or
1 0
etail Sales per year
^ Start date
dicated Employees*
i f j"T""THmi* t'
flethod
i i, j j, i; -1 . I- w.» b
H Materials collected
r*" „. ,.„,_ T,, , j . n r . ,
ii i it

^ Part of comprehensive waste
i|,j reduction program?
""sTTotaf waste generated (TPY)
Jyi| ( j L m ^ [ i ^i w ^j i
j Food, foral, waxed cardboard
discards recovered (TPY)

W-RESULTS:
f Food, floral, waxed cardboard
i" discards recovered (JPY)_
-: Food, floral, waxed cardboard
PP'dlscards recovered"(%r ~~
Total waste recovered
Supermarket
$100 million total, 5 stores
1991
** ^ m ^^ (i^ ^ « * *™ f *
0
Off-site windrow composting; rendering;
Bfl donations
Produce "and floral trimmings and spoils,
, ^gj^^^a^^oa^. meat ano> fjj^ dis
" h oijf-of-date canned goods

Yes""
3,000 tons, 5 stores
970 tons (estimated)
870 tons: 750 to compost; 120 to rendering
(estimated)
90%"
•
J
»• Is-
64%
• COSTS:
WAverage composting costs
1. Average avoided landfill hauling
„ and tipping fees
fc^ef sayings ^ '^~
$55-65 per ton
$105-$110perton

~$4d-55l"pert6n
', n. , .>« I . WHj-Jrtl'r,, i ,lllt ilt., ,,,.,'.! r'..
V
is
1
* A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
TPY = tons per year
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-002f
June 1998
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
75% Recovery of Food Discards
Students and employees at Middlebury College collected
approximately 288 tons of food discards for on-campus composting in 1996.
This represented approximately 75% of the college's total food discards. As a result of its
compostingprogram,Mlddleburyavoidsapproximately$137pertoninlandfillhaulingand
tipping fees. In 1996,this led to a net savings of over $27,000.
Program Description

fter a waste assessment found food to be
the heaviest component of the waste
stream, Facilities Management staff at
Middlebury College (student population
2,000) decided to implement a pilot
composting program to divert food discards.
The pilot was successful and the composting
program now involves all five dining halls,
three kitchens, and three snack bars.
Although Middlebury began its program
by sending material off-site for
composting, in 1996, due to price
changes in both trash and composting
fees, the College began composting on-
site instead.
The kitchens prepare between 3,400
and 3,600 meals per day year-round. In
each dining hall, dish room staff put
food preparation discards as well as
post-consumer leftovers into small
"food only" trash cans on wheels.
College Dining Services and General
Services staff empty these, along
with waxed cardboard and pre- and
post-consumer discards collected
from the snack bars into a
compactor outside one of the
kitchens. Staff empty the
compactor twice a month and
take discards to on-site aerated
static piles for composting. The College is
seeking funding for an in-vessel composter.
Middlebury has also had success
collecting food discards at special events. In
the spring of 1997, about 4,000 people
attended a graduation picnic at which food
discards were collected and later composted.
Picnickers brought all their discards to tables
where Facilities Management staff sorted it
into "recycle,""compost," and "trash" barrels.
The recovery rate at the dining halls and
kitchens is very high. It is lower at snack bars
where customers bus and separate their own
discards, and where many customers buy food
to go.
To help avoid contamination of
compostable organics, Facilities Management
staff notify dining services managers when
contaminants such as plastic wrappings, metal
wire from wooden crates, and metal rings
from ice cream containers are found among
the food discards. Managers are responsible
for keeping food discard containers relatively
Contact:
^Environmental Coordinator
^Service Building
jJVHddlebury College
y/fiddlebury.VT 05753
0443-5043
:ax: (802) 443-5753
- -' T..V-J
-------
M:
contaminant free. The program does
accept a bit of contamination, as
compost is screened at the end. When
staff screen compost, they rent a
machine with a rotating mesh barrel.
The mesh lets small soil particles
through and captures larger
contaminants.
The College used to have two
compactor containers. Due to odor
problems, however, one compactor was
removed and one of the satellite sites
stopped separating out compostables.
To mitigate odor from the remaining
compactor container, the College
installed a filter. In summer 1997 staff
painted it white so that it would not
absorb as much heat, thereby cutting
down on organic processes until the
material is transported
to the compost site.
This reduced odor. In
a continuing effort to
lessen the odor
problem, Facilities
Management staff are working
to develop a system for daily collection
from the compactor container. This,
they believe, will completely eliminate
odor problems.
Costs/Benefits
iddlebury College
composts an average
of 24 tons of food
discards per month. In
1996, the cost per ton
for composting,
including tipping fees,
trucking, labor, fuel,
and supplies was $42.
For recycling it was
$145; for trash, $137. Asa
result of its high food recovery rate,
Middlebury realized net savings of
$27,000.
Tips for Replication
• Educate staff on how to compost
and why.
• Keep people involved in the
program with an ongoing dialogue
between the Environmental
Coordinator and food service
employees.
• Commit to solving problems rather
than saying "forget it" when problems
arise. Keep trying, even if the program
is not perfect at first. Let problems
serve as catalysts for improvement.
Program Summary, 1996
'1°
I
I
ij^ li,.,L: :::!;i!,.7,SLi!!i;iiLL.j!,!',!, i!,!!l,
j, ,^j,.,^,»^^...,,|..,,,, .«|j^^.^^,_—.^^-..^|—----.-^^^-^.-g-
'!!::;'-:;;~' '' •••' :|ii":;i "j:::; »::|1 '&• f'!'-s fH™"'"^*'1?;**'':';. Stchens
'*T993 ofteite composting; 1996 on-site
i;i|,|i:, ^^^
H; placated 'Emploees
f-%jiiK,r:iiij«^

"'ofvsite'windrow composting
lf!|cFien scraps, pre- and post-consumer
JSK'.Part of comprehensive waste
fergl'l^urtjon^pjram?
|L!Tptal waste'generaleS (f P?F
Yes

Food discards generated
: «;^^
1 ills.,, .(,r Tts
u
.RESULTS:
288 tons
IStafwaSerecoveFed(Tlr'V)" 725tons
^,,1^1 afjiwaste recovereid,{%)___ ._ 64%
- Average composting costs
COSTS:
^fd--,r, ^7;
Average
pSIrage avbidedTandfij!' riauJirig "~ $137 peTtbh

CjNet saying s"*" * ''""' '*" ^ "'"""' ?95 per 'ton""
-r-K

' ---#
* A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
TRY = tons per year
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-002g
June 1998
New York State Department
of Correctional Services
(DOCS), New York
r> 90% Recovery of Food Discards
In 1997, 47 of 70 correctional facilities in the New York State
Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) composted at 30 sites, which accept
from 1/2 to 4 tons of food discards a day. Participating facilities recover 90% of their food and
other organic discards. Through composting, DOCS facilities realize a net savings of $564,200
per year in avoided disposal costs.
Program Description

In 1989, a survey found that food scraps
comprised 30 percent by weight of DOCS'
waste stream. A desire to reduce disposal
costs as well as comply with state waste
reduction legislation led DOCS to begin its
composting program. Participating facilities
prepare approximately 125,000 meals daily
for an average of 1,000 inmates per facility.
Kitchen workers put food preparation
discards in unlined plastic containers;
inmates put leftovers in a container in
the dining hall. Full containers are
refrigerated until inmates take them to
the composting sites three or four times
a week.
By refrigerating the discards, DOCS
avoids odor problems. At the
composting sites, discards are mixed
with bulking material and windrow
composted. Wood chips made from
scrap wood produced on the premises
comprise most of the bulking agent
Some programs also use yard debris
from neighboring communities.
Sites accept chicken bones and
food containing meat, such as chili.
Some covered windrows accept
paper towels and other soiled
paper; some of the bigger sites
can handle waxed cardboard.
Facilities with open windrows do
not accept paper, as it often blows away,
creating a litter problem.
Other than attracting a few birds now
and then, the facilities have no vector
problems. To keep vectors to a minimum,
DOCS keeps the temperature of the windrow
piles at 145°F and mixes new food discards
with a bulking agent immediately upon
bringing them to the compost site.
DOCS central office resource management
staff prepared a training manual addressing
issues such as bulking ratios, turning frequency,
and legal aspects of composting programs. In
addition, central office staff are on-site for the
first few days of each composting program to
train staff and trouble shoot.They also train
new staff. Composting responsibilities are
integrated into existing job descriptions. Staff
at each site train inmates in composting
procedures. Well-trained staff and inmates
who are invested in the program keep
contamination to a minimum.
Contact:
source Management Director
;JYState Department of Correctional
Services
^Eastern Correctional Facility
, Berme Rd.
iapanoch, NY 12458
2tl4)j547-1653
-------
DOCS kitchen staff collect large
bones and liquid fat in 30- to 50-gallon
barrels provided by a rendering
company. The company retrieves them
every two weeks free of charge and
processes these materials for
manufacture into cosmetics and soaps.

Costs/Benefits
Despite increased hauling and
tipping rates, the Department's
trash disposal expenditures decreased
103% in the first seven years of its food
discard recovery program. In FY89,
DOCS spent $2,3 million on trash
disposal. In FY97, DOCS spent
$2,062,477 on trash disposal, avoiding
$2,350,957 In disposal costs through
the Department's recycling (including
composting) programs. In 1997,
handling material for composting costs
approximately $34 per ton. This covers
expenditures on capital equipment,
supplies, and civilian labor, including
the position of Resource Management
j Director, which was
--' created to oversee the
program. The average
landfill tipping fee is $125
per ton. Net savings through
composting are approximately
$91 per ton. Lowered fertilizer
costs at DOCS farms avoids additional
costs.
Inmates feel positive about the
program. Able to see waste becoming
an end product, inmates feel part of a
productive process that makes sense.
Before the program began, inmates
watched a closed-circuit video on why
composting works, and how it saves
money and resources. Recycling,
Including composting, has become just
another way of doing business at DOCS.
Three facilities offer inmates
technical training in composting.
Inmates learn the basics of recycling,
such as what to do and where
recyclables (including compostables)
go once they are collected. Inmates
also learn technical aspects of the
processes. Guest speakers explain what
inmates can expect on the job. When
they leave prison, inmates who have
gone through this training will have
skills and some of the language that
qualify them for jobs in recycling,
including composting, facilities.
DOCS provides communities with
free compost as a community service.
DOCS uses some finished compost
on its farms, but most is used in inmate
horticulture programs and prison
landscaping. Eighty percent is used in-
house, providing large avoided costs
from not buying green house soil
mixes, peat moss, or mulches.Twenty
percent is used in inmate public service
programs.
Tips for Replication
• Present a technically sound and
feasible plan before start-up to ensure
success.
• Involve everyone,from the
superintendent to the commissioner to
the maintenance workers, from the
start. Educate people so they
understand why composting makes
sense both environmentally and
economically. If people understand
why you are offering a good program,
they will buy into it.
Program Summary, FY97
Ori-site Jnd ofrslte i\^dro\«comp6stingii'i
Food preparation discards, leftovers, chicken." J r
, bones, soiled paper, waxed cardboard „ 5
|j^^5j!^|jp{np,.yjj;nj|vewas(e' Yes i§
[action program? '" ' "^ '' ^ " ^ '*|
'"'Site gSrate3lTP^ H^^^^J" ^M*"™ lH -. '«"IT. *" T^* tUmJJ *
"^tner oraanic^iscanls 6,889 tons""" ' 1'"*1" Ji1 '" *''"""" T g
i Food and other organic discards 6,889 tons
fi"i\KliSBi*"*^'**^"~*'*f * *g;P^g»'i'i»J*SB»i'-l'iP|»iMja!Bi:3'.:'ijrfsti_'«Ks'"cat." f if«»,;af'i', ;ie;jv:*;
P
JtSW fg!'';;:f«(fi;|ssa^^^ •> wawvt
l""" "
, , , ^ ct.
*.« » I H iJj^,„:*,*' e«' .'.iV'" .i*V';"" ' "1 O
rom participating facilities 1 g
fEisatfeftCT**!1^™*^-1**^^ ^

HI,H!I«I-I^ i.*i*w*« i+'-w W' a vi*,»i4i^i«*i-i
..M,i_J
^
* A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
TPY = tons per year
-------
United States ,
Environmental' Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response'
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-002h
June 1998
San Francisco Produce
Recycling Program
California
Begun in 1996, the San Francisco Produce Recycling Program is a
collaborative effort among many public and private participants—
the city and county, produce businesses, a farmer, a hauler, a food bank, and a
composter. From June 1996 to August 1997, this program provided 450 tons of edible food
to charities, 300 tons of inedible food as animal feed, and 750 tons of food to a composting
facility. In that period, food discards came from more than 40 wholesale and retail
businesses; the program has since greatly expanded.
Program Description

l
n 1997, the San Francisco Food Bank
collected more than 60 tons a month of
food from 25 wholesalers at the San Francisco
Produce Terminal and from other city
wholesalers. Food Bank staff collect food in its
original packaging, as long as it is at least 50%
edible, and transport it in a refrigerated truck
to their warehouse where volunteers
separate edible food from inedible food.
The Food Bank distributes over 37 tons a
month of edible food to member service
agencies. A local dairy and heifer farmer
collects the remaining inedible produce,
which he and other farmers use as
animal feed.
In August 1996, Sunset Scavenger
Company, a local hauler, began picking
up some of the inedible produce the
Food Bank could not collect from the
produce terminal. Sunset Scavengers
provided each participating business
with a 1- or 2-cubic-yard unlined bin
for its spoiled produce. Vendors
keep these containers covered to
avoid vector and odor problems as
well as scavenging and illegal
dumping. Sunset Scavengers
added 12 wholesalers and one
retailer in October 1996. The
company began additional pick-
up from seven large supermarkets in April
1997 and from 14 Safeway supermarkets in
fall 1997. It plans to expand to several
hundred businesses to reach a goal of 8,000
tons per year. In fall 1997, Sunset Scavengers
also expanded collection to include waxed
corrugated cardboard. It hauls discards to
Richmond Sanitary Compost Facility in
Richmond, California, where the material is
windrow composted along with yard
trimmings. Finished compost is sold, mostly
to professional landscapers.
Before food-related businesses join the
program, outreach contractors meet with
employees to provide any needed assistance
and staff training. The contractor also
conducts monitoring and follow-up. For
example, at a new supermarket, the
contractor meets with the produce section
supervisor to devise a plan for the store. As
produce workers already separate out wilted
lettuce leaves and spoiled fruit into boxes,
n|cs Recycling. Coordinator
ieUfete Management Program
-------
putting vegetative discards in the
square container provided by the city is
little extra work. Depending on the
supermarket's needs, Sunset Scavengers
will pick up one, two, three, or more
days a week.

Costs/Benefits
II $97,000 grant from the City and
JnlCounty of San Francisco provided
the San Francisco Food Bank with a
refrigerated truck for produce collection
and a partial year's salary for a full-time
driver. Future grants will help expand
collection and make capital
improvements. There is no cost to
wholesalers for food bank and animal
feed services.
San Francisco residents and
businesses pay variable trash rates
based on frequency of pick-up
and weight or volume. These
trash fees provide funding for
Sunset Scavengers'organics
pfck-up, and cover the cost of
running two trucks (as of 1997),
which can accommodate food discards
from over 200 businesses.
Benefits of this program are
manifold. Food service agencies save
money through reduced purchases;
they boost the nutritional value of the
food they serve. Farmers save money
on feed costs. The Richmond
Composting Facility produces higher
quality compost through this program.
Produce businesses save money
through lower trash costs as well as
through their tax-deductible donations
to the Food Bank.
The experience of two Produce
Terminal vendors—Cooks
Company and DeMatti Brothers—
illustrates this program's cost-
effectiveness to participating
vendors. Cooks Company cut its
trash bill by approximately 45%
within four months of joining
the program. In fall 1997, the company
received trash pick-up once a week.
Previously, trash had been picked up at
least twice a week. DeMatti Brothers
reduced the size of its trash container
by half and reduced the number of
trash pick-ups from four a month to two
a month, reducing its trash bill by 10-
15%.
For the first year, Sunset
Scavengers, which also collects trash
from the Produce Terminal, did not
charge businesses for pick-up of
compostables. In fall 1997, it began
charging at a rate that is 25% less than
what businesses pay for trash pick-up.
Businesses that may have been
reluctant to join will have a clear financial
incentive. Sunset Scavengers predicts
that vendors will reduce their total
disposal costs by an average of 10%.

Tips for Replication

• Place the highest use value on
edible food redistribution. When
developing your program, work with
and support local food donation
organizations to incorporate edible
food recovery.
• Identify local regional markets for
inedible food, including -farmers and
composters.
« Work with the hauler to develop a
collection strategy and financial
incentives for participating businesses.
• Put time into working with
businesses. Provide monitoring and
follow-up. Remind businesses that they
reap many benefits from participating,
including financial and public relations.
Program Summary
',' "Sector'",''L '""7".!'7"77 ''7,T """tt.l'RHn dlWriva^ collaborative: city and
jjhlfMH •=*=•* » iS'SiS* jiiiftBSiiS^ =„«,,;-«,,= l—.^ iyj;,-,. >.,••„,; ,•:,"„ ,-.-,-
**•'!l!.""'!""l! •.'• -!-• =3B1 -!1™™*..1'....?*! •J'SS'HEt-^B/nolesalers, a food bank, a farmer, a
* '..-•' ,.;. : ; • ".'•'. hauler, and a composting facility.
Start date
1996
gj;., .Dgtljicajedi cftjr emplojfees* ' <0.25 plus 0.5 FTE contractor time
';~ Method ~ "7", r~^~~"."TlJJ^!?1sP^.^nfJ;!9n5[Mll^a'.?!?®!'!''"
;;:;: ; ; : ;__ j^^^;^^; ^:~-^^
IBS, Materials collected "" Produce" trimmings, produce
11:.-«:«!! !'!" wwi •FT*OT'i|w'PFW*"*iiBWtBfiww!KWJwrip(BS»)rw|i;'i:rptfai • ji «••'••• •*:w::>: > <"'•'
I Part of comprehensive waste No
lilTii ll'iirBNIyliiH^ii''^!^ lii'LiMi] iiiqigiriifii'iiUiifeHiilHlii.. • ' ™
igrogram?
, jEgSrULIS:T
*-' • Food1 discards recovered'(TPY)1"' !A'' l|p6 tons''|june 1996-August 1997)
Food discards recovered (%) <50% from participating vendors
I1 " " i1 I ' (l I1!1!""' I'f'H*!"! lif1 if "Tl ( i, ll(
f =
* S
. COSTS:
« Costs and savings for participating vendors are currently unavailable.
sn ^ .n :T- rrmaicrT. TFUTT .-•-••-:.•-!-!• t g—;^;-;;;;rJ-.-g-g:;;JE-s-;rCTr^^^^^

* A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
FTE = full-time equivalent NA = not available TPY = tons per year
-------
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-98-002i
June 1998
Shop Rite Supermarkets
New Jersey
80% Recovery of Food Discards
and Other Organics
In New Jersey, 25 Shop Rite stores divert 3,000 tons of organics per
year. They collect a wide array of materials for off-site composting and rendering.
As a result, participating stores divert approximately 80% of their organics to a composting
facility and 90% of their total waste stream through recycling, including composting. On
average, stores realize a net savings of $57 per ton in avoided disposal costs.
Shop Rite Supermarkets began a pilot
composting program in 1994. By summer
1997, Shop Rite's compost program had
grown to include 25 stores. They off-si'ie
compost a wide variety of organic materials,
including floral and produce trimmings and
spoils, out-of-date bakery items, old seafood,
soiled paper products, waxed corrugated
card board, food spills, and out-of-date dairy
and deli products. Composting
responsibilities are integrated into
employee job descriptions. Each store
runs its composting program differently,
but typically staff in each department
collect compostables in waxed
corrugated cardboard boxes. These
boxes are not recyclable but are
compostable. Using original produce
boxes to collect compostable produce
allows the stores to avoid buying
special collection containers. Staff put
the whole, full box in a compactor,
which is emptied once or twice a
week.
Compactors vary in size, with
the largest holding 20 tons. These
compactors were previously used
for garbage. Because of the high
diversion rate, stores now only
need small dumpsters (12 cubic
yards) for their garbage. A
hauling company takes compacted organics
to a composting site where they are ground
with yard trimmings and windrow
composted. The nutrient-rich finished
compost is screened to remove contaminants.
It is sold to farmers, golf courses,
municipalities, and people involved in land
reclamation.
Shop Rite has no major problems with
odors, vectors, or contamination. The
compost site allows 5% contamination per
load; it rejects highly contaminated loads,
forcing stores to pay the additional costs of
landfill disposal; Compactors are kept locked
until a designated time each day when staff
are directed to unload their compostables.
This allows management to watch and ensure
there are no contaminants.
Rendering companies provide collection
barrels and pick up meat product discards at
no cost.
^- __ „
BContact:
jer, Environmental Affairs
/akefern Foods
Shop Rite Supermarkets
iHorthfjeld Ave
•Edison, NJ 08818
"~
-------
Tips for Replication
» Analyze your waste management
practices; understand the economics of
your garbage.
• Manage your organics recovery
program on a continuing basis. Pay
attention to it. The process does not
run on its own.
• Train employees well.
Costs/Benefits
Start-up and operating costs for the
organics recovery program are
minimal. Most stores already had
compactors, which they used for
garbage and did not need to buy
collection containers. Stores also avoid
disposal costs for the waxed cardboard
boxes, which are composted along with
organics. There are some costs for
employee training and for
signs explaining the
program. Some stores
have bought and installed
an additional compactor.
Through its food recovery
program, each store avoids
$15,000 to $40,000 per year in disposal
costs. The lower cost avoidance may be
at a smaller store or in an area with a
lower tipping fee. New Jersey Shop Rite
stores pay an average tipping fee of $90
per ton for garbage and $33 per ton for
composting. Hauling fees for garbage
and recovered organics range from $11
to $17 per ton.
Store employees typically live in
the same town as the store in which
they work. Participating in this hands-
on recycling program allows them to
contribute to their community by
reducing its waste stream and
recovering valuable raw materials.
fii
Program Summary, 1997
ateras collected
Supermarket
4.3 billion - Wakefern Food Corp7Shop Rite
^^w^^^^^-s-j^j^^^jparticipating stores 1997
"o
private
-. , .
sjtewipdro^, composting,
y|eg rendering
'L.'.haulegi
Floral and produce trimmings, out-of-date
f fpoji, soiled paper, waxed corrugated
II Li ;_ ! ", L." ', ' ,.', " cardboard
Partof comprehensive waste
[fejuctiQg'program? " """ Yes
•Total waste generated (TPY) 4,167 tons (projected)
• Food and other organic discards
!:7§eSirited"(TPY) 3,750 tons (projected)
If
I.+ rc
] 3*
1 '*. i^-
f
.,43
I?
U^JJJ^^g^^QYga^'dijjjyjj " 3|ood tons (projected)

Food and other organic discards 80%

ayered (TPY) 3f750 tons (projected)
Average avoided landfill tip fee
jpjet savings
$90 per ton
$57 per ton
•Wakefern Food Corporation is the largest retailer-owned supermarket food cooperative in the United
States, with 190 supermarkets trading under the Shop Rite banner.
** A dedicated employee is one whose primary responsibility is working with the food discard program.
Shop Rite did not need to hire anyone specifically to run this program.
TPY = tons per year
-------