New Business Diverting Tons of Food Waste from Landfill to Compost
March 17, 2012
JOHNS ISLAND, SC – March 19, 2012 – Launched earlier this year, Food Waste Disposal (FWD) provides businesses an economically feasible and environmentally friendly alternative to sending food and organic waste to the landfill.
The new business, founded by Johns Island resident Wayne Koeckeritz, supplies collection bins, picks up all food and organic waste, and transports it to Charleston County’s composting facility at the Bees Ferry Landfill – the only one of its kind in the state. To date, FWD has diverted over 11,000 pounds of would-be trash into compost.
In Charleston County, nearly 20% of all waste currently buried in the landfill is food and organic waste, including fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, cooked meat, bone and shells, along with soiled paper, waxed cardboard, and compostable plastics. When disposed in the landfill, this waste quickly rots and becomes a significant source of methane — a potent greenhouse gas with 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. By recycling the food waste into compost instead, it can be used to improve soil health and structure; increase drought resistance; and reduce the need for supplemental water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
“I’ve long been passionate about promoting sustainable practices. By starting Food Waste Disposal, I saw an opportunity to help local businesses divert a valuable resource from the landfill and back into the gardens and farms of the Lowcountry. Or, as I like to say, from table to farm.” says Koeckeritz.
“In addition to being good for the environment, businesses can also benefit by reducing their traditional waste hauling expenses as well as their County solid waste user fees,” adds Koeckeritz. “And for businesses concerned with separating food and organic waste from regular garbage, the process is quite simple and takes only a small amount of training.”
Food Waste Disposal offers the service at a cost comparable to traditional waste disposal to a wide variety of businesses including restaurants, hospitals, grocery stores, schools and any other business or organization looking to reduce the amount of food and organic waste they send to the landfill. For more information, contact Wayne Koeckeritz at [email protected] or 843-991-2791 or visit www.wastefwd.com
