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Organic Waste Diversion in Columbia, South Carolina, Feasibility Study
Citation:
Rock, S. AND A. Lan. Organic Waste Diversion in Columbia, South Carolina, Feasibility Study. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-17/337, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of the report is: 1. Provide objective base-line information on the current state of organic materials in the region to support the objectives of the MOD Partnership. 2. Identify existing sources and potential receptors of organic materials. 3. Assess potential diversion options and provide recommendations. The target audience for the report is primarily for sources and receptors, including private businesses and public entities, in the Columbia, SC region. In addition, it is targeted to organizations and decision-makers in determinining the feasibility and desirability to invest resources in organic waste diversion efforts in Columbia, SC. Lastly, this report is intended for communities in general that are seeking to reduce and divert organic materials going to landfills.
Description:
The study found that a variety of methods are technically and economically feasible for diverting food wastes and providing a positive return on investment for the source. Potential barriers and considerations for food waste diversion are identified in the study. Given the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy (U.S. EPA, 2012) and findings for the Columbia, SC region, the following prioritized actions or decisions are recommended to overcome potential barriers and incentivize actions to further support feasibility of diversion options: • Develop and implement programs to encourage waste reduction. • Start a regional “food waste exchange” to facilitate connections and efficient transactions between sources of food appropriate for human consumption and those who feed people in need. • Communicate the availability of food waste services in the region. • Perform an engineering study and a marketing study for one or all of the WWTP to evaluate capacity to accept food wastes for anaerobic digestion and the financial projections to produce and use increased amounts of biogas, and land-apply the digestate. • For governments, consider incentives and disincentives for food waste, such as: o Driving up demand Banning food wastes from the landfills, or raising tipping fees for food wastes to encourage diversion, or Instituting “pay-as-you-throw” programs that charge residents based on the amount generated, thereby incentivizing diversion • Participating as a customer at the composting facility. • Refining the projections of available food wastes by source by determining the percentages of food being diverted to beneficial applications. This study found feasible alternatives with the potential, if fully realized, to significantly divert food wastes from landfills in the Columbia, SC region.