Dive Brief:
- Sonoma Garbage Collectors, a waste hauler based in Sonoma, CA, proposed the idea of constructing of a composting facility that would service residents in the area.
- The hauler is considering various sites in the Sonoma Valley where a facility could potentially be built. The waste firm anticipates collection of yard waste, food scraps, meat, and dairy materials.
- Sonoma Garbage Collectors said the composting facility would divert around 8 tons of green waste per day.
Dive Insight:
In order to get the ball rolling, the owners of Sonoma Garbage Collectors submitted a request to the Sonoma City Council for general support and an extension of the city’s waste contract with the company until 2027, an extra 10 years compared to the current agreement. A decision is expected from City Council by the end of November.
Although nothing has been finalized, including choosing a potential candidate for a site, and no permits applied for at this time, Sonoma Garbage Collectors hopes the facility would begin operations by fall of 2015.
That timeframe may seem overly ambitious considering the amount of effort needed to get the project underway and completed in accordance with regulations. However, the noted lack of existing infrastructure necessary to recycle food waste could work in favor of the hauler, and propel the idea into motion if key officials believe in the plan.
