Pandemic leads to drop in food waste, Resource Recovery Agency says

TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency officials have found the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an inverse effect on composting operations that has seen less food waste coming in and more composted dirt going out.

The report was provided during an agency video conference meeting Monday, June 29. Operations Manager Charlie Whitaker said there is no new dirt after selling 2,284 tons this year.

“We are sold out right now,” he said.

Officials said the closing of indoor dining at restaurants led to food waste disposal in April and May to drop from 793.26 tons last year to 538.5 tons this year.

“We saw a dip starting in April, even on the soft trash side (with) commercial haulers picking up restaurants and stores,” agency treasurer Tim DeGraff said.

Recycling Coordinator Angelina Peone said in an email that the decline also comes from institutional closings due to efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

“We have seen a decline in the tonnage of incoming food scraps over the past few months,” she wrote, “which could be the effect of many different things but we do attribute some of this to the restaurant, school, and facility closings throughout the state.”

The agency gets revenue both from accepting the food waste and the sale of the material after it has been composted. Officials reported that revenue for taking in the food waste in May was down by about $1,000 over a year ago, while composting sales rose by about $16,000.

Officials have been working toward expanding the composting operation as part of a longterm plan at reducing the amount of solid waste taken to landfills. However, it had not included expectations that there would be a pandemic to affect the flow of food waste.

The plans have been developed as part of a $237,000 state Department of Environmental Conservation grant intended to have large institutions divert material from the waste stream.

Agency officials began composting in 2012 under a permit that initially allowed 500 tons of food waste per year to be disposed of in a 40- by 100foot area. The program is now allowed to process 2,500 tons per year in a 90- by 125-foot area, and has been scheduled to increase even further to meet state requirements that large producers have a food waste disposal plan in place next year.