Republic Services Named 2020 Organics Recycler of the Year

By Chris Seney

As one of the nation’s largest recycling and waste services providers, Republic Services is committed to protecting our planet, and extending the life of the materials we recover from the waste stream is a priority. Green waste is no exception. Last year, our organics facilities processed 1.7 billion pounds of food and yard waste into 275,000 tons of compost.

We are proud to announce that for these efforts, we have been named 2020 Organics Recycler of the Year by the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA). The annual industry awards honor innovators and leaders in the industry who have made substantial contributions to recycling.

Republic Services currently operates 11 compost facilities in five states, and a 12th is scheduled to open this year. Many of our facilities are technologically advanced, using mechanical aeration to speed up the biological process and reduce odors. Our compost facility at Otay Landfill in Chula Vista, Calif., is an innovative example – it’s completely off the grid, using solar-powered fans and a Gore cover technology that requires little energy consumption and traps odors, dust and emissions. In the future, we see a continued trend toward technologically advanced composting.   

Our Otay facility is one of six in California, where there is a greater demand due to legislation mandating the diversion of organic waste from landfills. California disposes of approximately 20 million tons of organics each year, and current legislation requires that 75% of the organics be diverted from the landfill by 2025. In coming years, similar requirements are expected in more markets – meaning even more food and yard waste will need to be processed.

In Southern California, Republic also runs an organics pre-processing operation that removes contamination from food waste derived from restaurants and grocers, and maintains a robust food recovery program that diverts safe and edible food from the waste stream.

The organics industry offers tremendous potential for us to both grow our business and strengthen the circular economy. As a leader in this area, Republic is working to create more commercially viable and environmentally sound alternatives for organic waste.

Chris Seney is Director of Organics Operations for Republic Services, a member of the U.S. Composting Council and the Association of Compost Producers. Seney also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Compost Producers.