We're a coalition of farmers, scientists, and clean-energy innovators advocating for smarter food waste policy — one that supports legacy composting and embraces anaerobic digestion as a complementary pathway for cleaner soil and lower-carbon energy.
State and local diversion programs are doing the right thing by keeping food waste out of landfills. But our composting infrastructure was built for yard trimmings — not today's packaged, mixed commercial food streams. Even in mature organics programs, contamination persists despite education campaigns, color-coded bins, and enforcement. The result is a pinch point with real consequences for soil quality and public health — and organics processing must be designed to handle contamination responsibly, not pass it through to finished products.
30–40% of all U.S. food goes to waste, costing $220 billion each year. Read the story
Legacy composters are absorbing volumes and contamination levels they were never engineered to handle, leading to inconsistent finished-product quality.
Microplastics, glass, and metal fragments are showing up in compost applied to farms, parks, and home gardens — entering the food chain and waterways. One gardener recently found a plastic bag inside a bag of "organic" soil.
Many programs default to composting alone. Lawmakers have an opportunity to unlock additional, complementary pathways for cleaner outcomes.
Our coalition advocates for diversion policy that lets both pathways do what they do best — and that gives jurisdictions options for the food waste streams that composting alone was not designed to absorb.
An essential, time-tested method for handling clean source-separated organics and yard waste — producing soil amendments that support agriculture and landscaping.
Depackaging plus anaerobic digestion removes contaminants from unpackaged food waste and plastic from complexly packaged food products.
Mixed commercial food waste — including packaged goods — is collected.
Microbes break down organics in enclosed tanks, producing biogas.
Biogas is upgraded to pipeline-quality renewable natural gas.
Finished digestate meets the same organic fertilizer specs as compost — often with superior performance — and returns to farms as a clean soil amendment.
Our members are operating real-world facilities that responsibly handle food waste at scale — turning what would be landfill methane into clean energy and clean soil inputs.
Partners with farms and food producers to convert organic waste into RNG and natural fertilizer — diverting millions of tons from landfills.
Read the story →Develops and operates AD infrastructure that turns organic waste streams into low-carbon energy and high-quality digestate.
Read the story →Operates a national network of integrated food waste facilities — including its new Longview, WA site — converting unsold food into renewable energy and soil amendments. Read the white paper to learn how depackaging & anaerobic digestion can support legacy composting systems.
Read the white paper →Whether you're a constituent, an operator, or a policy-watcher — there's a lane for you.
Two states are writing the rules on contamination in food waste feedstocks right now. Tell regulators that diversion policy should support anaerobic digestion alongside composting. Read more about Washington's proposed rules and Vermont's solid waste rule updates.
Download our one-pager with key facts on food waste, RNG, and why smarter diversion policy matters.
Add your organization's voice. We welcome operators, scientists, farmers, and community advocates.