Trenton Renewables recycles food waste to create renewable energy
TRENTON » With new regulations mandating the recycling of food waste taking effect in 2021, Trenton Renewables, New Jersey’s only food waste recycling and Class I Renewable Energy Facility, today hosted a plant tour and briefing to engage the community about this new legislation and showcase New Jersey’s continued leadership in fostering a thriving, green economy.
Effective in 2021, NJ Assembly Bill 2371 (the Food Waste Law) requires many businesses that produce more than 52 tons of food waste per year to separate and recycle this material at a qualified recycling facility rather than send it to a landfill or incinerator, where valuable nutrients are lost and unnecessary emissions are generated.
Joseph L. Fiordaliso, President, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker (D-Middlesex); Assemblywoman
Nancy Pinkin (DMiddlesex); and Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora were among the representatives who toured Trenton Renewables’ anaerobic digestion facility, which uses a biological process to recycle food waste into premium compost, organic fertilizer and renewable energy. With the capacity to save 110,000 tons of organic material from being trapped in landfills or burned each year, the plant has the ability to work with large-scale generators of food waste, such as hospitals, grocery stores, colleges/ universities, food manufacturers and distributors.
“I’m excited to see Trenton Renewables’ capabilities firsthand and meet the team behind this project. They’ve demonstrated how we can address two of our state’s most critical needs – sustainable energy generation and waste management – at the same time,” said Fiordaliso. “Trenton Renewables’ success in making food waste recycling an attractive option for everyone underscores how anaerobic digestion is an important part of New Jersey’s portfolio to reach Governor Murphy’s goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and further the state’s role as a clean energy leader in the nation.”
“The Food Waste Law was a tremendous success for clean, renewable energy in New Jersey, and was signed into law by Gov. Murphy in April 2020,” said Pinkin. “We are using this opportunity to highlight the need for food waste generators to begin preparing for the responsible separation and recycling of their food waste beginning next year. This progressive sustainable practice will lead to a greener Garden State and help foster a new industry that New Jersey can be proud of.”
Located in Trenton along the Delaware River, Trenton Renewables built its facility to make food waste recycling as easy and cost-effective as possible. The facility is able to automatically recycle entire truckloads of foods and liquids, and its advanced material handling technologies quickly separate organic material from packaging, such as glass, metals, and plastics, which are recaptured and recycled on their own. The organic material is then sent to one of Trenton Renewables’ three anaerobic digesters, where helpful bacteria convert the food waste into premium compost, organic fertilizer and renewable biogas. The compost and fertilizer are sent to local farms and the biogas is used on-site to produce electricity that powers the facility and contributes renewable energy to the grid when it’s needed most.
Each year, Trenton Renewables produces 27,000 MWh of renewable energy and 23,000 tons of organic compost, all while reducing carbon emissions as much as having 32,000 fewer cars on the road or planting 2.5M new trees.
“We partner with food manufacturers and distributors of all sizes and types who are committed to doing something good for the environment, but still need to make ends meet at the end of the month. Over time, we’ll be able to save our partners more than $5 million each year in lower tipping fees, saved time and conserved fuel,” says Peter Joseph, Managing Member and Chairman, Trenton Renewables. “Our mission is to make food waste recycling a realistic option for all – it’s time do better for our environment and for our communities.”
For more information, or to connect with Trenton Renewables for food waste recycling options, visit http://www.trentonrenewables.com/.