How Much Food Waste is Really Available in the Waste Stream Ted Siegler DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Windsor, Vermont www.dsmenvironmental.com

Organics – The Next Big Thing It is common to hear that food waste and other organics represent as much as 40 percent of the residential and commercial waste stream and are the next logical materials available for diversion While this might be the case in aggregate, as anyone who has been involved in diversion and management of food waste will tell you Its not that simple! 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

Why Is It Not That Simple Not all waste disposed is mixed solid waste Food wastes and organics are 40 percent of what? 2015 Rhode Island state-wide waste characterization Only 50% of disposal at the RIRRC Landfill was mixed solid waste in 2015 Which means if you multiply 40% by 100% you will be off by 50%! 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

Why Is It Not That Simple Contamination I want to say one word to you. Just one word Yes sir Are you listening? Yes, I am Plastics Exactly how do you mean? There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?* *The Graduate, 1967 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

Delaware Solid Waste Authority, 2015 – 2016 Waste Characterization 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

Goals of DSWA Waste Characterization How much recyclable material is being disposed at DSWA landfills? Delaware has a Universal Recycling law requiring that all haulers provide parallel recyclables collection of single stream material with the cost embedded in the refuse collection charge How much organics could be diverted from DSWA landfills? DSWA is required to report to the Legislature this year on the potential to develop composting or anaerobic digestion facilities in Delaware to divert food waste and other organic materials from their landfills 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Waste Characterization Materials Categories The first of two seasonal sorts has been completed Waste hand sorted into 54 materials categories 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

Summarized Into Nine Management Groups Recyclable paper (accepted at the Single Stream MRF) Recyclable metal and glass (accepted at the Single Stream MRF) Recyclable plastic (accepted at the Single Stream MRF) Vegetative food wastes, unpackaged Protein food waste, unpackaged Food waste in plastic packaging Food waste in other packaging Yard waste Other waste   9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

Results of First Season of State-Wide Characterization The statistical reliability of the data will be enhanced by the second round of data collection in June, but the first round of sampling is sufficient for development of some preliminary conclusions Data are probably accurate within +/- 20% 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Residential Waste 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

Commercial Waste (ICI Wastes) 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. But Commercial Waste is Not Homogeneous There is much larger variation than for residential We conducted targeted sampling of six commercial waste categories Large Retail Small Retail Grocery Office Restaurant Convenience Store Anyone want to guess which category had the highest concentration of food waste? 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Large Retail Material Category Management Category 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Small Retail Material Category Management Category 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Grocery Material Category Management Category 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Office Material Category Management Category 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Restaurant Material Category Management Category 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Convenience Stores If you guessed convenience stores you were right! I doubt you did, but then again you may have never been to a Wawa Store Material Category Management Category 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Conclusions While the statement that roughly 40 percent of mixed solid waste is organic is true That may only represent 20 percent of what goes in a landfill All organic wastes are not created equal Only 8 percent of residential waste is unpackaged vegetative or protein food waste Only 11 percent of commercial waste is unpackaged vegetative or protein food waste There remains more recyclable materials in the residential and commercial waste stream – even with successful recycling programs, than clean food waste 17 percent of residential waste 23 percent of commercial waste 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Conclusions (cont.) Food waste that remains after efforts to reduce and divert food waste to more valuable uses represents a significant potential energy and nutrient source However, much of it is contaminated with packaging – especially plastic packaging Plastic packaging and other contaminants increase the costs and complexities of recovering food waste There is wide variation in the amount of organic material, and especially food waste in the commercial waste stream But much of it is highly contaminated with plastic packaging especially Grocery waste 14% unpackaged food waste 20% packaged (80% in plastic) Convenience stores (43% of food spending in 2012 directed to food consumed away from home) 18% unpackaged food waste 30% packaged (80% in plastic) 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.

DSM Environmental Services, Inc. Conclusions (cont.) Waste characterization studies were developed to determine the energy value of the waste when combusted The energy value of food waste packaged in plastic is higher than for unpackaged food waste when combusted This is not the case when food waste is biologically converted to energy We need to modernize our waste characterization studies to determine the availability for recovering organics for nutrient or energy value in composting and anaerobic digesters Food waste packaged in plastics significantly increases costs of composting or anaerobic digestion And other organics such as dirty paper or wood play a much different role in a composting or anaerobic digester than they do in a combustion facility and need to be accounted for differently 9/16/2018 DSM Environmental Services, Inc.