Dive Brief:

• A $20 million renewable energy plant in Menomonee River Valley, Wisconsin, is set to begin operations today.
• The facility will convert food waste into renewable energy, which is sold to the local energy company, using microorganisms to transform the organic waste into biogas.

Dive Insight:

Food waste that will be processed at this facility includes scraps from a bakery, cheese plant and a soy producer. The plant is also considering ways to partner with a casino and other commercial facilities such as restaurants and hotels. Jeff Crawford, attorney general for the Forest County Potawatomi Community, said, "This merchant facility is going to try to capture as much of that liquid organic feedstock as possible and make green energy out of it, instead of it just becoming a problem in the waste stream."