Food Waste Composting - Indiana Recycling Coalition

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Food Waste Composting Strategy Group

Food waste comprises roughly 22% of all landfill volume, making it the single largest category of Municipal Solid Waste in America (REFED, 2019). With an average national recycling rate of 5.3%, food waste is also one of the least recycled waste streams (EPA, 2015).

The Food Waste Composting Strategy Group is energized by the many benefits of and opportunities for organics recycling in Indiana and is therefore dedicated to increasing the rate of food waste composting in Indiana. The strategy group has identified the following strategies to achieve this goal:

Data Collection: to see where Indiana stands compared to adjacent states
Education: resource creation & targeted outreach to the biggest sectors of food waste generators
Infrastructure: investing in Indiana’s composting infrastructure
Policy: informing regulatory policy creation
Economic: driving end market demand for compost

State of Food Waste Composting in Indiana 2020 - READ THE RESULTS

In 2019, IFSI set out to measure the state of food waste composting in the Hoosier state. This white paper compares Indiana to adjacent states, Illinois and Ohio, against a set of four indicators selected based on data availability and communication power. IFSI hopes this snapshot serves as a starting point for discourse that leads to informed, local solutions that increase food waste composting activities across Indiana. Primary sources of data from the most recent year were used wherever possible; IFSI recommends annually tracking and reevaluating Indiana against this set of indicators, with the potential of tracking more indicators as data becomes more readily available.

Is it more expensive to compost or landfill? READ THE RESULTS

IFSI reviews one facet within the economic landscape for increased food waste composting in Indiana. In this paper we explore the true cost of compost tip fees as compared landfill tip fees in the Hoosier state. Our investigation of a large sample size of both permitted compost sites and sanitary municipal solid waste landfills clarifies that compost tip fees are cost-competitive.

Why Compost Food Scraps?

State of Food Waste Composting in Indiana

Q. How much food waste is being composted in Indiana?

A. IFSI gathered data from IDEM’s Compost Facility Reports and in 2018, food waste comprised roughly 2% of all organics commercially composted in Indiana. Indiana’s average from 2011-2017 was 1.8%, the national average by comparison is 9% (EPA, 2015).

Backyard Composting

Q. As an individual, how do I start composting food waste?

A. Start by reviewing the following resources and download IFSI’s guides on backyard and apartment composting.

Composting How to Hub

Backyard Composting Guide

Vemicomposting Guide

Benefits of Composting Food Scraps

Residential & Commercial Composting in Indiana

Q. As an Indiana resident, how do I start composting food waste?

A. You have a few options: backyard composting, vermicomposting, or subscribing to curbside compost collection. A list of service providers follows. Remember to practice source reduction first - individual households edge out businesses as the largest contributors to food waste!

Q. As an Indiana business owner, how do I start composting our food waste?

A. The first and best option in the food waste management hierarchy is to practice source reduction. Take a look at IFSI’s source reduction resources to get started. The second best practice is to donate all eligible food. If you do not already donate edible food, get in touch with local hunger relief organizations to see if there are unrealized food rescue opportunities. After you’ve integrated a robust number of source reduction and food rescue practices, it’s time to start composting food waste! Reach out to one of the local service providers listed in the Compost Haulers section to see if you qualify to compost collection. Here are some initial questions to ask the service provider:

What materials are acceptable to compost? How do we properly prepare food scraps for collection? What is the size of collection bin and frequency of pick ups? What is the cost to get services started?

“The further removed we become from natural systems, the more problems we create for ourselves and the ecosystems we inhabit. Patachou, Inc. prioritizes reducing food waste to preserve and conserve precious resources. Patachou, Inc. also loves composting our food waste because it mimics the regeneration that exists in nature in order to benefit soil health and the way we engage in agriculture. Composting can help restaurants and food businesses like us reduce waste to landfill by over 50%.” -Rachael Hooever-Lekic, Patachou Restaurants

Q. We contract with an outside food service provider. How do we get them to start composting food waste?

A. Check out IFSI’s Roadmap for Food Service Contracts.

Q. I want to offer composting at an event - where should I start?

A. First look at your purchasing plans - read IFSI’s Guideline for Food Service Composting which will help you select truly compostable products.

Compost Haulers in Indiana

Q. I am ready to start composting food waste. How can I find my local compost collection service provider?

A. The following are current compost collection service providers in Indiana. You can also check out IFSI’s map.

Ray’s Recycling - Indianapolis, Commercial
Earth Mama Compost - Central Indiana, Commercial & Residential
Green with Indy - Central Indiana, Commercial & Residential
Green Camino Curbside Composting - Bloomington, Residential
Wabash reThinks - Terre Haute, Residential
JB Salvage Bloomington, Commercial - services Indiana University and Monroe Co Public Schools only
West Lafayette Recycling Center - West Lafayette, Residential drop off only
DirtWain - Fort Wayne, Residential & Commercial
Ground Down - Fort Wayne, Residential & Commercial
Crown Point Compost Co- Crown Point Area, Commercial
City Cultivators - Gary, Commercial
RE317 - Hamilton County, Residential & Commercial

Compost Sites in Indiana

Q. Where is food waste being composted in Indiana?

Centralized Compost Sites: Indiana currently has about 123 Registered Compost Facilities, 13 of which accept food waste.
Anaerobic Digestors: Not all anaerobic digestors accept food waste, however, Indiana has a number of anaerobic digestors that can co-digest food scraps and other organic materials. Check out the map for the location of these sites.
Community Compost Sites: Indiana has many small scale community compost sites that are not regulated by IDEM. Most of these sites are urban gardens, schools, farms, and businesses that choose to compost food scraps onsite. IFSI does not maintain a list of these sites.
Individual backyards via in-vessel composting and vermicomposting

Check out IFSI’s Food Waste Recovery Map for specific locations.

Food Waste Composting Regulations

Q. Who can answer my food waste compost permitting and regulatory questions?

A. Compost haulers and site operators can get in touch with the following divisions at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management:

Compliance and Technical Assistance Program. CTAP is non-regulatory program and offers free, confidential consulting for business owners and entrepreneurs who are unsure what permits and requirements may apply.

The Solid Waste Division within the Office of Land Quality. The Solid Waste Division manages permitting and reporting for all compost facilities in Indiana.

Q. Does my business need to register for a compost permit with IDEM?

A. If you accept compost materials from off-site and if your compost site is larger than 300 square feet then you should apply for a compost permit through IDEM’s Solid Waste Permitting Division.

A permit is not needed if the material composted is generated on site, if the compost area is less than 300 square feet, or if the material is being temporarily stored and an incidental amount of composting will occur before the removal of the matter. This exemption applies to many community gardens, schools, and businesses choosing to compost material on site.

Q. I currently run a compost operation that accepts yard waste. Are there additional regulatory requirements for me start composting food scraps?

A. The requirements do not change substantially. However, when you submit a registration renewal to IDEM, you must list your site as accepting food waste and provide additional controls for vectors and pathogens. IDEM engineers will determine if the controls are adequate. Each permittee must submit how they plan to meet the requirement.

Q. Our business would like enroll in compost collection services. Are there special regulatory requirements for collecting food scraps for composting? Do we need to treat compost any differently than trash?

A. There are no state regulations that require food waste to be treated any different than ordinary trash or recyclables. However, businesses should check with your local health department to ensure no local ordinances exist.