Dive summary:

• Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, in partnership with Allied Waste and EBMUD, has started a program in San Jose, Cal. That turns food scraps from selected restaurants and school cafeterias into electricity.
• The project started a few years ago with 55 restaurants less than enthusiastically agreeing to participate, soon however, another 50 businesses wanted to join and the program has been growing ever since.
• The facility currently collects about five tons of food waste a day but hopes to increase that to as much as 200 tons a day which they see as possible with the addition of up to 100 restaurants in upcoming weeks along with branching out to the San Francisco area.

From the article:

Human beings have converted food into energy since before they walked upright, so it stands to reason that some day a public utility would do the same. But who knew an East Bay agency would help pioneer the effort?

The Food Waste Recycling Project, launched by the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority as a pilot program several years ago in partnership with Allied Waste and EBMUD, turns food scraps from selected restaurants and school cafeterias into electricity. The program is about to expand its scope.

Paul Morsen, executive director of the waste authority, said the idea smacked him in the head one day when he was searching for ways to comply with a state law requiring 50 percent of all waste be diverted from landfills. ....