Organic waste recycling continues to fuel conversations about waste reduction, GHG reduction and renewable energy. Boston is launching a pilot composting program, while Michigan State University is using an anaerobic digester to create renewable energy.
According to Waste & Recycling News, three of Boston’s farmers markets will serve as drop-off sites for organic waste during a three-month pilot program. The city’s leaders will evaluate the results as they decide how to incorporate composting into their waste reduction programs.
At Michigan State University, an anaerobic digester (a sealed, oxygen-free tank in which organic waste is degraded at an elevated temperature) will help waste from the university’s farms and dining halls to decompose, producing methane that can be captured and used as fuel. About 17,000 tons of waste will be used to generate enough electricity to power several campus buildings.
Organics recycling is an important and valuable Greenhouse Gas mitigation measure and one that should be considered as California works to meet the 75 percent recycling goal set in AB 341.