Republic Services is a leader in organics recycling. With 12 compost facilities in five states, we’re helping to divert customers’ yard and food waste away from landfills and converting it into renewable energy and nutrient-rich compost. In 2020, we were named Organics Recycler of the Year by the National Waste & Recycling Association, a recognition of our Company’s innovation and leadership. Organics recycling directly supports our sustainability goal to increase recovery and circularity of key materials from the waste stream by 40% by 2030.
In celebration of International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), which Republic Services is proud to sponsor, let’s take a closer look at how commercial composting works and its benefits for the environment.
In commercial composting, the process begins with the collection of food and yard waste from residents’ homes or businesses, which is delivered to the facility.
Contamination is removed, and the remaining material is ground to six inches or less in size for composting. Water is then added to increase the moisture content to roughly 50-60%. The material is then placed into the compost process.
At Republic we utilize a variety of different compost technologies at our facilities. We operate six windrow compost facilities that are more traditional and use equipment to turn the piles. Six of our compost facilities are aerated static pile compost facilities that continuously add air using blowers to speed up the process and reduce odors.
See our Organics Operations infographic below to learn more:
Composting at home works in a similar way—organic materials are collected and combined to create a soil amendment. For some general guidelines for composting at home, click here.