Dive Brief:
- Green-tech company BioHiTech Global, Inc. is installing its proprietary food waste disposal system at a second Dunkin' Donuts location in New Jersey. The Eco-Safe Digester will convert coffee grounds and other food waste into water and transport it through sewer lines — diverting it from landfills and reducing hauling fees.
- Each increment of waste added to the digester is measured and tracked through the BioHitech Cloud. The technology also measures operation, economic, and environmental metrics. For Dunkin Donuts, this means the capability to report their diversion rates to their corporate office, as Dunkin Donuts works toward its DD Green Achievement goal: building 100 sustainable restaurants by the end of 2016. The Eco-Safe Digester could reduce carbon emissions to a level where the chain could serve 1 million cups of coffee without harming the environment.
- BioHiTech’s Eco-Safe Digesters operate in more than 300 locations around the globe, according to a company press release.
Dive Insight:
As some cities and states move to ban food waste from landfills, food waste disposal is becoming a priority among businesses, inviting innovations and means for companies to embrace a culture of environmental stewardship.
"As environmental concerns move up in the hierarchy of our corporate objectives, we understand the importance of reducing our carbon footprint," said Bill Mulholland, franchise owner of Dunkin’ Donuts, Haledon, NJ. "The convenience of having BioHitech solution located within the store provides a safer environment for our employees…"
Having previously established a presence overseas, BioHiTech’s earliest focus in the U.S. has been in healthcare at the institutional level.
"Dunkin' Donuts is a great example of how our solution can be used in smaller applications. Our on-site aerobic digester is odorless and compact enough to fit neatly in a small area," said Frank E. Celli, CEO of BioHitech America.
