It’s estimated that approximately $218 billion worth of food is thrown away every year. The Center for EcoTechnology (CET) can offer no-cost support to help businesses in Connecticut reduce waste.
Reducing food waste is smart for business. It can help you save money over time, improve employee job satisfaction, and respond to customer demands for sustainable practices. Now, businesses like yours in Connecticut have an additional way to reduce overall waste. The Center for EcoTechnology (CET) can offer no-cost support to help businesses in Connecticut reduce waste.
Not only can this support help with recycling, but it comes just in time to help businesses respond to the new CT Public Act 21-16, which requires businesses that generate 26 tons or more of food scraps to divert these organics for recycling. CET can help with all forms of food recovery, from reducing food waste and donating surplus food, to recycling food scraps through animal feed, composting, and anaerobic digestion.
Are you a commercial food wholesaler or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, resort, or conference center located within 20 miles of a permitted recycling facility? Do you generate 26 tons per year of food scraps or more? If so, you may be covered by this new law. CET can help you set-up systems to source-separate this material, understand collection options, and expand current food waste diversion efforts.
When it comes to preventing and diverting a wide range of materials from disposal, CET can offer support, helping businesses that are just getting started to those who want to take their existing efforts to the next level. In addition to the more commonly recycled materials such as paper, cardboard, and containers, CET staff have expertise in hard-to-recycle materials such as electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, pallets, and construction materials.
The Sheraton Hotel at Bradley is just one business that found success diverting food scraps. The Sheraton worked with CET to implement a food scraps recycling program, which reduced the number of waste collection pick-ups from four pick-ups per week down to one, resulting in a cost savings of about $2,500 per year. CET has a robust toolbox of resources and has developed state-specific materials about food donation, donating food in schools, and Spotlights from New Haven.
CET is under contract with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to help Connecticut businesses and institutions reduce waste. Contact one of CET’s recycling experts at 888-410-3827 or click here to learn more or get started.
