TECH ENVIRONMENTAL PRESS RELEASES

2014-10-01: Massachusetts Bans Food Waste

The commercial food ban does not apply to residences but it does apply to all commercial facilities that produce 1 ton per week or more of food waste. This does not translate to an annual limit of 52 tons per year, but it is capped at 1 ton per week, so seasonal operations need to comply even if they create little to no food waste at times. Since 2012, Tech Environmental has been an active participant in the MassDEP solid waste subcommittee on organics recycling. Tech can attest to two things in particular: (1) the ban is truly happening and (2) the October 1st, 2014 start date should be considered a soft start date with room to assess the best approach for organics recycling. MassDEP does not plan to start issuing NON documents (notices of non compliance) directly following October 1st, but at the same time, facilities need to demonstrate that they are on the pathway to compliance with the ban. Over the last two years, MassDEP has performed over 75 talks and attended over 80 trade shows, conferences, and business meetings to discuss the pending ban.

It is now time to start complying. For more than twenty years, Tech Environmental has been assisting facilities that manage organic waste streams. Traditionally, these have included yard waste and other composting facilities and biosolids stabilization processes. In the last two years, Tech has been involved in manure/ liquid food waste anaerobic digesters, composting facilities that accept food waste, solids tunnel digestion/ composting projects, and recently a food dehydrator project. All of these will create a pathway for recycling the banned organic materials. Please feel free to contact Mike Lannan at Tech (781-890-2220 X33) for any additional information or if you have any questions.

See also:

MassDEP Disposal Ban

Recycling Works

Tech provides air permitting support for an anaerobic digestion facility

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