Dive Brief:

• Residents in Lincoln, NE will discard an estimated 52,000 tons of food waste by the end of 2014. 
• This large volume of organic waste prompted Nebraska Organic Waste Energy (NOW) and Uribe Refuse Services Inc. to establish a pilot program that has the potential to divert about 1,450 tons of organic materials from a local landfill every year.
• The collaborative project would use a small-scale anaerobic digester to process yard and food waste from commercial customers from nearby waters, grocery stores, corporations and institutions. 

Dive Insight:

Dave Dingman, the founder of NOW, said participating commercial and institutional entities must commit to become “zero waste” and incorporate products into their companies that are 100% biodegradable. 

NOW Energy applied for a grant totaling $735,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust toward the project. Brad Uribe, president of Uribe Refuse, said if the grant doesn’t materialize, the project will move forward but will be cut back in size.