Walmart has been hit with its share of rotten tomatoes, lobbed from proponents of local economies and social justice groups. The mega-corporation has long been criticized for overtaking towns and communities when it opens up new stores, bulldozing over a lot more than mere acreage.

But in Central Indiana and nationwide, Walmart will be the one throwing the tomatoes—as well as oranges, lettuce, and whatever else has passed its expiration date in the produce section. And one local company is happy to be the target.

Pending completion of permit processes, GreenCycle, which produces landscape products from organic materials at its four locations in Central Indiana, will be receiving the food waste from all Walmart stores in the region, and turning it into compost at its Zionsville and Indianapolis locations. “We expect some 60 tons of waste per week, once we get going,” says John Repenning, vice president of marketing and administration for GreenCycle.

From garbage to garden
GreenCycle’s new contract is the result of an agreement between Green-Cycle and Organix Recycling, Inc., the company contracted to collect and deliver Walmart’s food refuse—what remains after all consumable material is sent to food banks and other outlets.

Midwest-based Organix is involved exclusively in food waste, collecting and hauling the material from grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and industries that produce food, and diverting it to recycling operations. The company will collect from Walmart stores in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and—soon—several southern states.

GreenCycle will be the sole recipient of waste in the Central Indiana region. Reflecting on the company’s partnership with Organix, Repenning explains, “We discussed what was acceptable and what was unacceptable—and what we’re getting is nice, super-clean food waste.” Repenning says that this will be the company’s first experience with working with refuse at this volume.

Looking outside the box
The Walmart compost initiative is just one component of a big-picture sustainability plan launched in 2006. Although the big-box behemoth has attracted its share of criticism, many concede that the entity is also leading the way toward more sustainable practices within the larger business community.

That Walmart requires its supply chain to meet certain sustainability criteria has had a powerful effect. In fact, the company recently announced its goal to reduce by 20 million metric tons the greenhouse gases it—and its supply chain—generates by the year 2015.

Walmart has set a goal to reduce waste by 25 percent within three years and achieve zero waste by 2025. Bill Wertz, regional public affairs manager for Walmart, comments, “The compost program is the last piece of our effort to reduce store waste, and it follows giving food to food banks, zoos, animal shelters.”

“Walmart has really looked outside the box on this,” says Andy Taylor, national accounts manager for Organix. He explains that few businesses have committed to recycling food waste,
which takes up approximately 30 percent of all landfill space. “Only a very small percentage is recycled, and there hasn’t been any infrastructure to facilitate it—until now. Walmart is leading the way.”

A huge step for recycling
GreenCycle, says Repenning, is eager for the opportunity to recycle food waste at high volume, but plans to approach the task one step at a time. “We are only taking material from one source and we are taking a limited amount to start with,” he says. “We want to make sure we do it right.”

Few people would use “limited” to describe 60 tons of garbage, but Repenning explains that adding food waste—green material—to compost requires a corresponding amount of brown material, such as wood chips and horse manure. Otherwise, the result will be stinking, rotting garbage. “We don’t want to get overrun with the material and cause an odor problem.”

Repenning remarks on the significance of Walmart’s move: “From the big-picture perspective, this is a huge step for our industry. Walmart has really stepped up and taken the initiative to start composting food waste. The potential opportunity for taking food waste from other sources in Indiana is huge.”

Taylor agrees. “This kind of exposure is good for everyone—it encourages other chains, hospitals, schools, municipalities, and even smaller businesses to get on board. It will even encourage people to do their own backyard composting. The whole point is that it spreads awareness and bolsters the movement toward zero waste.”

Comments (1)

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment