DUMPIN'O'THE GREEN: Paul Deirup chucks produce into a compost bin at Piedmont Market in Oakland, Calif., as part of Norcal Waste Systems' food waste recycling program.

Compost program in Oakland, Calif., closes the loop

By Jim Johnson

From the April 29, 2002 Issue

OAKLAND, CALIF. -- Dozens of Oakland waste generators are diverting more than 300 tons per month of food waste that would otherwise end up being buried.

The businesses are part of Norcal Waste Systems Inc.'s Waste Recycling-Composting Program offered through the company's Golden Gate Disposal & Recycling unit.

Recycling is a key issue in California. The state has mandated that 50 percent of the waste stream must be diverted. And voters in Alameda County, where Oakland is located, established a countywide goal of 75 percent by 2010. Oliveto Cafe & Restaurant in Oakland, which generates hundreds of pounds of food waste every day, is partnering with Norcal to keep that material from being buried.

"I can't imagine why people wouldn't want to do this kind of thing," Chef Paul G. Canales said. "It's sustainable. It's the same five minutes to do it in a good way as it is to do it in a wasteful way." Kitchen waste as well as plate scrapings make up the food waste, which is collected in eight containers. Each bin can hold between 15 and 30 pounds of debris. The containers are typically filled every day, and sometimes twice, depending on the restaurant's hours.

The restaurant has been working with Norcal for about a year to divert food waste, Canales said. Before that, some employees would actually take the material home. "Some of it we composted for our own gardens, but most of it was thrown away," he said. "It was horrible because you just see what you're throwing out and say, 'There ought to be a better way.'" Diverting the food waste from landfills is a natural move for Oliveto Cafe & Restaurant, owner Robert Klein said. "I think as for myself and the people who work here, we're sort of predisposed to it," he said. "The restaurant is fairly aggressive about recycling."

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, along with Norcal, recently recognized participants of the Oakland program as part of the city's effort to reach waste diversion goals.

"In Oakland, a significant portion of waste going into the landfills is food waste," Brown said. "Innovative programs like Norcal's Waste Recycling-Composting Program brings us closer to realizing our waste reduction goals while providing cost savings for Oakland businesses."

Brian Mathews, organics processing program manager for the Alameda County Waste Management Authority, said that food waste collection programs are critical to the county's ability to reach its 75 percent diversion goal. "Food waste remains the single largest item in the overall waste stream," he said.

Fifty-five businesses participate in the program, and the recycling rate is more than 80 percent at some locations, Norcal said. The total amount of waste diverted is about 320 tons per month.

"We provide them with containers, and we do pickups with the businesses," Norcal spokesman Robert Reed said. "Most of them are restaurants. But you get a lot of other businesses in there, too -- any business that generates food scraps and plate scrapings and kitchen trimmings. And these are some of the most successful, most notable businesses in the city of Oakland." Reed said the program is innovative "because we're closing the recycling loop locally."

The 320 tons of food waste diverted from Oakland businesses each month is taken to Norcal's Jepson Prairie Organics composting facility 70 miles northeast of San Francisco. The facility handles about 300 tons of compostables every day, Reed said. That total includes the food waste from Oakland, food waste from San Francisco collected through a similar program, and yard trimmings from suburban communities.

After undergoing a composting process that takes about 90 days, the material is taken to organic farms where it is used to grow crops that eventually will be sold back to local customers.

"They grow vegetables and other produce and truck it right back to Oakland, San Francisco and other farmers markets in the Bay area," Reed said.

Contact Waste News reporter Jim Johnson at (330) 865-6171 or jpjohnson@crain.com.

Reprinted with permission from Waste News.
Copyright 2002, Crain Communications Inc., Chicago, Illinois