Why Compost?

Is your company’s waste bill just a line item in the budget? Do you ever look in the trash bins to see exactly what is being discarded? Do you ever wonder how quickly those bins fill up each day or if you’re waste services are “right-sized” for your actual business needs?

Then we need to talk… 

In the US between 40% and 50% of food is thrown away. The waste weighs 1.3 billion tons and is valued at $165 billion, equal to one-quarter of the yearly US military budget, or $2,275 per year for a family of four. 

This food waste also costs $750 million per year to dispose of in US landfills (https://saynotofoodwaste.org/data/facts/).

Composting is an easy solution for businesses to rid their operations of food waste. Whether you’re operating a corporate cafeteria, restaurant, or food truck, companies can benefit from diverting food waste away from the landfill.

The benefits of composting:

1. Save Money. Diverting organic materials, such as food waste, from landfill trash could allow for a reduction in the size of the landfill receptacle(s) or frequency of weekly pickup at the property, or, ideally, both. This fee reduction can help offset new compost diversion programs and give owners and managers peace of mind that their materials are being handled in a higher and better use scenario.

2. Avoid Fines and contamination. Cities all over the world are adopting Zero Waste policies for residents and businesses, so by getting ahead of the curve, your company can avoid the fees and legal penalties associated with non-compliance that are typically levied by local governments with these policies. Additionally, some hauling companies will assess fees for contamination of recyclables, usually due to food waste soiling the clean recycling streams.

3. Social Leadership and Stewardship. Composting organics instead of throwing them in the landfill trash is good stewardship which lowers carbon impacts, builds soil health, boosts morale among employees, and sets a good example for the community.

4. Green Marketing. Businesses that track waste reduction and diversion from landfill can use the data to edge out the competition, deepen customer loyalty, and demonstrate actions in corporate sustainability to shareholders.

5. Experience Nirvana. Some might say that wasting resources is a form of unbalance, so reducing waste via Zero Waste best practices increases efficiency for any business working towards its sustainability goals.

If your business is interested in starting an organics program pilot in the

Austin or DFW area please contact save@garbitrage.tech