Organics Waste Diversion Panel:
Overview
September 17, 2013
SUNY Sustainability Conference
Gary Feinland
Beyond Waste: A Sustainable
Materials Management Strategy
• New York State’s Materials Management Plan
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,
Combustion, Landfill
• Emphasis on reducing GHG emissions
For Beyond Waste Report go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/41831.html
Waste Diversion Goals and GHG
Year
Pounds/
Person/Day
GHG Reductions
(million MTCO2E
2010
4.1
12.8
2012
3.8
14.3
2014
3.4
17.1
2016
2.9
20.5
2018
3.4
24.7
2020
1.7
29.1
2025
1.1
31.8
2030
0.6
34.6
Source: Beyond Waste, Table 4.2
“State should lead by example”
• SUNY organics management programs have
great examples
For Beyond Waste Report go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/41831.html
Organics in the Waste Stream
• Approximately 30% of
New York State’s waste
stream is organics.
• About 18% are Food
Scraps.
Data from NYSDEC’s Beyond Waste
Percent MSW Organics
Generated
Food Scraps
7
5
18
Yard
Trimmings
Compostable
Paper
Food Recovery Hierarchy
Source: USEPA, http://www.epa.gov/smm/foodrecovery
Source Reduction
• Conduct a waste audit to identify where and
how the food waste is generated
• Waste Audit Tools
– Scale
– Gloves
– Data sheet
– Bags
Possible Outcomes of Waste Audit
• Identify where and how food scraps are
discarded
• Communicate information to purchasing staff
to reduce food purchased and save money.
• Potential to reduce disposal costs.
Food Donation
• Feed Hungry People
• Reduce Waste Disposal
• Receive Tax Incentive
(Not SUNYs or other State entities)
Liability Exemption
• Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation
Act exempts donor from liability for illness as
long as the donor has not acted with
negligence or intentional misconduct.
Animal Feed
• Pre-consumer vegetative waste, bakery
waste…
• Need Beneficial Use Determination (BUD)
from NYSDEC (unless fed to animals on site)
• No meat, no plate waste in NYS, not even if it
is cooked.
Recycling Food Scraps
and Other Organics
• Most yard trimmings are composted in NYS
facilities
• Less than 1% of food scraps are recycled
not including in-sink disposers
Four Things Needed for
Composting
•
•
•
•
Biodegradable Material
Air
Water
Microorganisms
Biodegradable Material
• Greens: wet, high in
nitrogen
• Browns: dry, high in
carbon
Small Scale Systems:
Open Pile
Small Scale Systems:
Home-made Bins
Small Scale Systems:
Store Bought Bins
Don’t Add to Small Scale Systems
• Meats
• Dairy
• Fats and oils
Large Scale Systems
Meats
o.k. in
Dairy
these systems
Fats and oils
In-Vessel (Enclosed) Systems
Meats
o.k. in
Dairy
these systems
Fats and oils
Anaerobic Digestion Facilities
• Not many accept food scraps, but some are
looking into it or currently adding equipment.
• More are taking food processing waste
(industrial)
• Compostable food serviceware is a challenge
in these systems
Questions?
Gary Feinland
Environmental Program Specialist
Division of Materials Management
Albany, New York 12233-7253
gafeinla@gw.dec.state.ny.us
(518) 402-8706