Vermont Business Magazine AsGrow Compostheads into 2017, it is focusing on three priorities to help businesses meet the requirements ofAct 148, the state’s Universal Recycling Law -- diverting liquid organic wastes from breweries and distilleries, diverting food scraps from businesses, and helping businesses cut the amount of food scraps they throw away.Grow Compost’s expansion plan is being funded through the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund,Flexible Capital Fund.
According to Grow Compost, efforts to reduce waste have largely focused on glass, plastic, and paper, yet, food waste make up28 percentof trash Vermonters throw away. When food is landfilled, it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, that is shown to have a warming potential of 21 times that of carbon dioxide (EPA).
Priorities:
1)Diverting spent brewery and distillery liquid wastes
In December, Grow Compostbought a truck designed for collecting and hauling liquid organic brewing waste, the first business in Vermont to offer the service. The waste is converted into renewable energy at Vermont Technical College’sanaerobic digesterand applied directly to farm fields to fertilize and enhance soils. Unlike other liquid hauling providers, Grow Compost's trucks are food grade, and are not used to haul septic wastes. Alchemist owners, John and Jen Kimmich are “thrilled to have Grow Compost as a partner in their efforts to reduce the Brewery’s environmental footprint. Grow Compost provides an essential service that enables us to use our organic waste to produce green energy.”
Funding for the truck was provided by the Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF), a 501(c)3 mission-driven alternative lender. VCLF provides funding to Vermont small businesses that may have difficulty accessing loan capital from traditional lenders, with the goal of building Vermont’s businesses and economy, and creating and preserving Vermont jobs. “Grow Compost Vermont has been on the forefront of offering critical waste diversion services to reduce and manage food waste and decrease resulting greenhouse gases. The Vermont Community Loan Fund is proud to partner with Grow Compost Vermont and contribute to these efforts through our Business Lending Program,” said Will Belongia, VCLF Executive Director.
2)Expanding food scraps collection program
To meet the increased demand through Act 148 for new markets for food waste, Grow Compost plans to expand it hauling services to schools, restaurants, markets, resorts, hospitals, and other generators throughout the Central Vermont and Greater Upper Valley region. At the New England Culinary Institute, Grow Compost customers’ Will Colgan, facilities director and Martha Franklin, Executive Chef, say food diversion is part of the school’s curriculum. From the moment students start at the cooking school, they learn about the food cycle, including separating out food scraps from trash. The program has a ripple effect and when the students graduate, they often start up composting programs in their new jobs. Tim Shea, Director of Facilities and Purchasing at National Life, another Grow Compost customer, says“The composting process through Grow Compost is a critical piece to our waste diversion program. They make it easy with onsite pick-up and supplying clean containers. We consider them a vital partner in our goal to become a zero waste company.”
3)PromotingEPA’s Food Recovery Challengeas a tool to reduce food waste:
In December, Grow Compost signed on as an Endorser to the EPA Food Recovery Challenge. The program helps businesses review and make changes in their food purchasing, storage, donation, and other waste management practices, also helping to lower disposal costs. Businesses that participate in the Challenge receive national recognition and a climate change report on the environmental benefits of their efforts - facts that they in turn can promote to their customers and staff.
Grow Compost of Vermont started from a desire to live in closer harmony with the cycles of nature and to address the environmental issues of soil health and recovery of organic scraps.
Since 1987, VCLF has loaned over $90 million to local businesses, affordable housing developers and community-based organizations that has created or preserved 5,200 jobs; built or rehabilitated 4,000 affordable homes; created or preserved quality care for over 3,700 children and their families; and supported community organizations providing vital services to hundreds of thousands of Vermonters.