Dive Brief:
- The city of Palo Alto, CA plans to construct an aerobic compost facility on a 3.8-acre piece of land.
- Palo Alto, CA will own, operate and finance the facility. The city is currently in the planning stage and is accepting proposals for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the plant.
- Upon completion, the plant will accept both household food waste and yard clippings from residential properties.
Dive Insight:
Communities and cities across the U.S. are testing out curbside collections programs that include food waste as the move toward diverting organics gains momentum. In February, Massachusetts passed legislation banning commercial food waste from entering landfills; instead, the organic materials must be processed at an anaerobic digestion plant or a composting facility. In May, the biggest composting plant in the state opened in Amboy, New York.
The issue facing the programs is the lack of infrastructure currently available to process the materials. The facility in Palo Alto will potentially provide the opportunity for more food waste collections to take shape in the surrounding area.