Boulder Vermicomposting

Super Market Composting Handbook

April 10th, 2010

Via John Anderson, I found the Supermarket Composting Handbook (2MB pdf), produced by JFConnolly & Associates and WasteCap of Massachusetts.  This handbook, while it doesn’t mention worm composting, is a fantastic resource for anyone who is attempting to implement composting at a corporate level.  It discusses the economics of composting vs trash hauling, monitoring program success, employee training, has sample contracts and signage for employees and consumers, and in general appears to be a fantastic resource.

Here’s my favorite takeaway from the Handbook:

As waste disposal costs rise and the need to help improve our environment becomes increasingly more important, supermarket operators are looking for alternatives to reduce disposal costs through recycling more of their waste. Seventy five percent (75%) of most supermarket waste, after recycling cardboard, paper and plastics, is comprised of non-recyclable biodegradable materials including discarded food, waxed and wet cardboard, paper, renderings, soil, and plants. Recycling these wastes through composting can be a lower cost alternative to disposal and makes a lot of sense for supermarkets.

Of course, the economics for composting vs recycling vs landfilling are different for every location, but this handbook makes evaluating composting as a solution easy.

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized