Commercial Food Scrap Composting
The economic benefits of implementing food recycling programs by San Diego industry
A research proposal submitted to the Urban Studies and Planning Program
University of California, San Diego
Shelby Cramton
USP 186 Section A03
scramton@ucsd.edu
October 18, 2011
Abstract
The city of San Diego faces a major problem in terms of future waste disposal.
In order to decrease the flow of waste to landfills, we must think of
innovative solutions that will divert the waste elsewhere. One alternative is
food scrap recycling, which has been proven to divert up to 50% of waste.
The research strategy focuses on case studies of San Diego businesses that
have implemented food recycling in their waste disposal routine, with special
attention on cost-savings benefits. Evidence and data will be compiled in
such a way that can be reviewed by businesses considering the option of food
recycling. The study aims at providing these companies with accurate data
that highlights the potential for economic recuperations through the
execution of the program. The results will be shared with San Diego
businesses in the hope that they will partake in food recycling, thus
generating numerous environmental benefits.
Key Terms: food scraps, composting, recycling, economic and environmental
benefit
Introduction
The City of San Diego is facing a major problem in the near future- the Miramar
Landfill, which is the only active landfill site used in the San Diego region, is projected to
close in the year 2019 due to reached capacity. Once the landfill is closed, dumping will be
shifted to private sites, meaning that San Diego will no longer profit from waste disposal. In
order to keep the city profiting from this system as long as possible, it is necessary to come
up with alternative measures that ensure a decreased volume of waste sent to the landfill.
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Also worth noting are the countless environmental benefits associated with decreased
landfill waste flows, such as lower methane gas emission from these sites. Food scrap
recycling is one option for diverting waste from the landfill. When separated from regular
trash, food scraps can lower waste volume by over 50% in some cases (such as in
restaurants where a large volume of waste is food). These food scraps are separated and
taken to a licensed processing site, where they undergo a process that results in the
production of compost. Compost is recycled, organic material that is rich in nutrients and is
used as a soil fertilizer. While the environmental benefits of composting are widely
researched and reported on, there are relatively few reviews of the economic benefits of
large-scale commercial food composting.
The Greenery is the only licensed food composting site in San Diego County, and is
conveniently located within the city, inside the grounds of the Miramar Landfill itself. The
Greenery offers its services to commercial venues who are dedicated to implementing a
program aimed at reducing waste by diverting a portion of it to “food waste recycling.”
Many commercial venues in San Diego are already involved in the program, including
PETCO Park and SeaWorld. My research project will focus on the overall benefits of the
implementation of a food recycling program particularly regarding San Diego industries.
More specifically, do economic benefits (defined here as cost-savings) result from a
participant’s implementation of a commercial food waste recycling program? If found to be
true, that would mean that large-scale food recycling programs would be economically
beneficial for commercial sites in San Diego. This data would be of interest to those who are
not already participating in the program, and may convince them to take part.
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In order to answer this, I will gather existing data from companies already involved
in the program, and compare it to their initial costs before involvement in the program,
which will outline economic benefit incurred as a result. Possible limitations include
inaccurate data, since data already exists and will not be collected by a new method of
measurement. Another possible limitation is the assumption that one commercial
business’s results can accurately predict similar results in a completely different
establishment.
Conceptual Framework/ Literature Review
In order to attain a solution, we must first establish exactly what the problem is.
First, San Diego is rapidly running out of landfill space. Second, landfill sites are huge
contributors to the degradation of Earth’s natural landscape and ecological processes.
These are both very pressing issues in which there is no simple solution.
Many scholars argue for the “zero-waste” goal, which implies the mimicking of
nature so that all products generated are somehow reused and nothing is wasted. In Zero
Waste: A Key Move towards a Sustainable Society, Dr. Paul Connett stresses the importance
of “saying no to the throwaway society and yes to a sustainable society.” He argues the
detrimental effects cause by the “mega-landfill” and incineration of waste; he also presents
the countless benefits to be attained from the public education of a zero-waste strategy
(Connett). In the journal “Bioremediation: a novel approach to food waste management,”
contributors P.K. Thassitou and I.S. Arvanitoyannis identify food composting as one of the
most cost-effective and environmentally valuable strategies for future waste management
(185). They specifically target the food industry as a perfect area in which to implement a
composting system, in order to recycle the large amount of waste produced (Thassitou and
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Arvanitoyannis 194). In a government environmental hearing entitled “Food for Thought:
Sustainability from Counter to Compost,” participants identified major issues in the realm
of food production, exploring topics such as the now common instance of food travelling
thousands of miles before being eaten (U.S. House of Representatives). This hearing
addresses environmental impacts from such practices, and suggests food composting as
one of the major solutions; specifically, a statement by Patricia Milner highlights the
benefits associated with food scrap composting, including reduced soil erosion, reduced
greenhouse gas emission, and improved soil nutrient content (U.S. House of
Representatives 13). Scholar Ajay Singh’s journal titled “Composting: A Potentially Safe
Process for Disposal of Genetically Modified Organisms” gives a comprehensive overview of
the way in which GMO’s are successful eradicated from inorganic material by employing
large-scale composting methods. His study points to yet another environmental benefit
presented by food composting, which is the transformation of inorganic waste to organic
material (Singh 12-13). This in a crucial step in reversing the damage that human
production has done to the Earth, and it is also necessary in reaching the goal of the zerowaste society.
The City of San Diego has long realized the environmental benefits of food
composting, as proven by its site in the Miramar Landfill devoted specifically to this
practice. The Greenery is the only licensed food composting site in the San Diego region,
and offers a commercial food waste recycling program for companies that wish to become
involved in composting. The City website outlines the steps necessary for becoming a
participant in this program. They are as follows:
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1. City staff meets with facility administrator, kitchen manager and/or maintenance supervisor
2. City staff provides technical assistance for on-site and logistics implementation
3. City staff trains all kitchen, maintenance and administration staff
4. Facility starts a "Pilot Program Phase" where facility's representative is required to accompany
City staff to inspect and evaluate the first three loads at the Miramar Greenery
5. Once successfully completing the Pilot Program Phase, the facility becomes a regular participant of the
program (San Diego Environmental Services Department, Commercial Food Waste Recycling Program)
Although The Greenery is the only active large-scale food composting site in the San Diego
region, a report published by the state department CalRecycle addresses the potential for
growth in this industry. The report states:
Because of the large volume of food scraps and/or liquid wastes being disposed, an opportunity
appears to exist for new and existing facilities to process these types of nontraditional feedstocks.
Only 16 facilities [out of a possible 230] surveyed reported processing food scraps or liquid wastes,
though, collection programs for these materials (especially food scraps) have been delayed by some
jurisdictions. (CalRecycle 58).
This report makes it clear that there is a future available for growth in the food composting
industry, if commercial use expands and so requires it.
Now that the environmental benefits and structural feasibility of large-scale food
composting are established, I will outline highlights of the economic benefits already
realized by participants particularly in the San Diego region. While the steps that it takes to
begin the program may initially cost money, the economic benefits associated after the fact
will greatly make up for it. The Greenery website gives a partial analysis of the economic
impact that composting has had on participating establishments. For example, the site
states that the Point Loma Nazarene University annually saves over $3,000 in disposal
costs (San Diego Environmental Services Department. The Miramar Greenery). This is just
one example out of the eleven participants listed on the website, and provides a
preliminary analysis of the cost-savings associated with the program. The Sheraton Hotel
and Marina is another key participant in the food recycling program. The company issued a
press release announcing its commitment to the program, along with a year-end goal of
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90% food waste diversion by the end of 2011. The report claims that the company is
striving toward representing a model green-business for the community and visitors to the
hotel (Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina). In an interview conducted by Mike Lee for SignOn San Diego titled “San Diego Launches new era of Food Waste Composting,” he speaks
with John Ford, manager of the Sheraton, about the cost-saving benefits of the program.
Ford recounts that the program has transformed their food diversion rate from 15% to
80% just months after commencing, in addition to the money saved everyday due to lower
disposal costs for food compared to waste (Lee). A comprehensive chapter on economic
benefits from the federal report Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Composting Options:
Lessons from 30 US Communities clearly outlines various mechanisms in which commercial
industries can gain economic benefits from implementing a composting program (U.S.
Evvironmental Protection Agency). This publication outlines in detail different methods for
successfully engaging in such a program, regardless of location.
Research Design/ Methods
For the research design portion of my project, I will collect data directly from the
commercial businesses that are currently involved in the food waste recycling program
through The Greenery (referred to as “participants” in this section). I will contact the
participants directly by telephone and send a survey sheet via email to the staff member
overseeing the program. This sheet will ensure that the data requested is uniform across all
participants. According to the City of San Diego’s website, businesses currently involved
include the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Point Loma Nazarene University, SeaWorld, San
Diego State University, San Diego Convention Center, PETCO Park, San Diego International
Airport, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, UCSD, Science Applications International
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Corporation, Feeding San Diego, and the San Diego Sheraton Hotel and Marina. For the
purposes of my study, I will only collect data from the locations that recycle both pre- and
post-consumer food waste. I will not include those participating in only pre-consumer
recycling for the following reasons: it will eliminate confusion associated with unnecessary
data categories, and will ultimately highlight the main point of my project which is to strive
for a zero-waste society (to attain true zero-waste, participants must recycle both pre- and
post-consumer scraps). This does not imply that the recycling of only pre-consumer food
waste is not beneficial, just not relevant to my study. The purpose of this data collection
method is to be able to cohesively organize all of the data in one place, so as to provide a
general picture of the economic effects that the food waste recycling program has on
participants. After researching extensively on the subject, I am confident that no such
compilation exists for San Diego.
Using a basic 3-question data set, I will form individual profiles on all cooperative
participants. To begin, I will determine a common unit of analysis in which to compare
participants by size (in this case, size does not refer to actual size of the business, but
rather the amount of food that they process each day). Being able to compare participants
by size will allow for correct interpretation of other data, such as volume of waste diverted.
For example, if one participant diverts 1 ton of waste and another diverts 100 tons of
waste, units of size will allow for correct interpretation of these differences. In order to
approximate the volume of food that each participant produces, size will be defined by
the approximate number of meals served per day.
The next category of data collected will be the amount and percentage of waste
diverted per week as a direct result of the food recycling program. This measurement will
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draw attention to the decrease in waste going directly to landfills, and important aspect
when considering the status of the nearly-full Miramar Landfill. By collecting in data in
units of volume, it will allow connections to be drawn between participants of similar sizes.
By collecting data in terms of percentage, it will allow for comparisons of all participants
regardless of size.
The final data survey will be the amount of money saved annually from the
implementation of the program. This is the most important portion of data collection
because it is expectedly what potential participants will be most interested in seeing. This
way, potential participants may be able to analyze a data set that most closely matches
their operation (in terms of size), and draw conclusions on the amount of money that they
could potentially save by utilizing food composting.
It is my belief that compiling this data in an organized manner will allow for benefit
analysis that is not currently possible. I plan on using easy-to-read graphs and charts
comparing disposal costs before and after program implementation, and evaluating likely
reasons behind the difference. If economic benefits are highlighted in the data, potential
participants will be inclined to make food composting apart of their standard waste
disposal routine, which is my ultimate goal. The timetable for data collection is
approximately 2 months. This is adequate time to give participants so that they may submit
relevant data on the above-mentioned categories. The purpose of this research design is to
initiate future involvement in commercial food waste recycling programs among San Diego
industries.
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Conclusion
I intend on using my project as a tool to encourage the participation of commercial
businesses in large-scale food composting in San Diego. My goal for the outcome of the
research is a well-recorded and organized data set that may be used by potential
participants in determining their next step in waste disposal. These groups may analyze the
data and decide whether or not a food waste recycling program would be economically
beneficial to their agenda. I expect that the data will present a solid case persuading
potential participants in the direction of food recycling due to the direct and apparent
economic benefits resulting from such a program. Such economic benefits are already
being realized by current participants, making it the only practical option for San Diego’s
future in waste disposal.
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CalRecycle. August 2010. Third Assessment of California’s Compost- and Mulch-Producing
Infrastructure — Management Practices and Market Conditions. Integrated Waste
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Lee, Mike. San Diego launches new era of food waste composting. Sign-On San Diego. August
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