Dive Brief:

• California-based company Anaergia is working to win over residents that are skeptical of its plans for an anaerobic digestion facility in Anaheim, as reported by the Orange County Register. The $70 million 3,600-square-foot facility would be a first for Orange County.
• Organic waste would be pre-processed at a Republic Services site and then transported to the proposed Anaheim Sustainability Center. The digester would have capacity for about 300 tons per day and could generate four megawatts of energy per year.
• Anaergia planned to hold a workshop during a meeting of the city's planning commission on Aug. 22 to talk through issues with concerned residents. The company aims to present final plans for a facility to the commission early next year.

Dive Insight:

While it's understandable that the prospect of 12 to 24 new trucks entering a neighborhood every day may give residents pause, the realities of the operation are far from the "dump" one woman described at a recent City Council meeting. The pre-processed waste will be put into sealed containers at the Republic facility before it's transported to the Anaergia digester and odors are expected to be minimal.

California has set a goal of diverting 75% of waste from landfills by 2020 and organic waste plays a large role in making that a reality. The state recently reported that residents have started sending more waste to landfills and organics were a significant portion of that material.

The state currently has 11 anaerobic digestion facilities with a similar amount on the way in various phases of permitting or construction. Japanese company Hitachi Zosen is among those looking to get into the state market with plans for a new digester that will service San Luis Obispo County. The city of Glendale is also conducting a feasibility study about a potential digester to process yard waste.