EXETER, MAINE – Agri-Cycle along with its anaerobic digestion partner Exeter Agri-Energy (EAE), unveiled technology today that is enabling Massachusetts General Hospital and Seaport Hotel to not only close their food waste management loop, but also comply with their state’s Commercial Food Waste Ban.
“Exeter Agri-Energy is unveiling a state-of-the-art food depackaging system that will allow us to process high volumes of food waste from generators across New England,” said EAE Managing Partner Adam Wintle. This technology has the capacity to process up to 20 tons of organic waste an hour, feeding the two anaerobic digesters that convert waste to electricity and – for EAE’s partner, Stonyvale Farm – providing the facility with liquid fertilizer and bedding for its cows.
Agri-Cycle trucks make weekly stops at these and other Boston-area companies, enabling grocers, businesses and institutions to dispose of bulk packaged food waste in an eco-friendly manner, ultimately converting tons of traditionally landfilled organic waste into clean energy.
Massachusetts General Hospital provides meals to an estimated 12,600 patients, family members and employees daily. As part of its recycling program, the MGH Environmental Services department works with Agri-Cycle and to date more than 388 tons of food waste has been processed and diverted from landfills. This completes the circle of MGH’s extensive recycling program that started in 2007, thus fulfilling their commitment to reducing their waste stream.
Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center in Boston began working with Agri-Cycle in January, 2015, providing food waste for the company’s digesters. Through July, Seaport had diverted 135 tons of food waste, off-setting 4,050 vehicles, producing 27,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer and creating 67.5 cubic yards of compost. The new depackager will help expand Seaport’s contributions to EAE.
“With the addition of the depackager, we look forward to recycling our used Keurig K-Cups,” said Tom Taylor, Director of Engineering and Sustainability for the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center. “We anticipate providing as many as 10,000 K-Cups per month, which will increase recycling rates and create additional clean energy.”
Since October 1, 2014, any Massachusetts-based commercial organization or institution generating one ton or more of food waste per week has been prohibited from disposing of the organic material in landfills. The Agri-Cycle food waste diversion helps these and other businesses responsibly reduce food waste.
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