Dive Brief:

• A food waste plan at the Stop & Shop Distribution Center in Freetown, Massachusetts, has been approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). 
• The project includes using an anaerobic digester on site, which will be used to convert spoiled food into energy. The gas produced will be converted into fuel.
• The equipment is expected to process 95 tons of food waste daily. The organic material consists of food that remains unsold past its expiration date at the retailer's stores. 

Dive Insight:

Massachusetts is on the forefront of reducing organic waste. The state's proposed commercial food waste ban has launched a new industry as institutions ready to make the necessary adjustments necessary for compliance.

The Massachusetts DEP Commissioner, Kenneth Kimmell, said the project was cutting-edge and forward-looking, and added that it is a "good model for other institutions seeking to find productive uses for their organic materials." The proposal was approved for two permits: a recycling, composting and conversion permit and an air-quality plan approval for the plant's bio-gas generator.

At this time, the supermarket chain donates leftover food to food pantries, off-site composting facilities and for to animal-feed facilities.