What happens to the food you leave on your plate when you dine at area restaurants? Until recently, the serving staff had to pitch it, even though those last forkfuls have the potential to be converted into primo garden compost. Now that Route 66 Organics, a local food waste removal services provider, has become the first business to obtain licensing from St. Louis County to compost post-consumer food waste, restaurants have another option.
Route 66 Organics offers single-stream recycling service so that clients, including restaurants, school districts and food manufacturers, can easily toss food waste along with recyclable glass, plastics paper and cardboard into biodegradable bags and totes – or dumpsters, for larger businesses. The company then separates the waste stream at their headquarters in Pacific, Mo. Food waste is incorporated with other organic matter such as yard waste and bedding from local horse stables. “We can even take the meat and bones,” said company spokesperson Doug Gilberg. After a six-month composting period, the organic matter is bagged and sold at Route 66 as well as many local garden centers.
This article appears in March 2011.