References

Recycling organic materials, producing clean energy, and using compost and natural fertilizers are HOT topics. We assembled resources – websites, blogs, articles, books, reports, videos, podcasts, etc.) – to help you navigate these topics. If you have an idea for additional resources we should add to this list, please drop us a note.

Closing the Organic Loop and Source Separated Organics (SSO)

Clean Energy, Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas

Compost, Gardening, and Soil Revitalization

Harvest Power Podcasts

We generate enough organic waste each year (167 million tons) to pile a typical city street 3 feet deep, curb to curb, for 18,000 miles – more than the distance to go across the U.S.A. six and a half times.

~Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources & U.S

Food (33 million tons per year) makes up the largest percentage of waste going into municipal landfills and combusted for energy recovery.

~2010 Municipal Solid Waste Characterization Report

We generate enough food waste every three days to fill up the Rose Bowl.

~Jonathan Bloom

Food waste in the U.S.A. accounts for 300 million barrels of oil and 25 percent of freshwater supply every year.

~Hall KD, Guo J, Dore M, Chow CC (2009)

Americans, on average, waste 1,400 calories a day per person, or about two full meals.

~National Institute for Health

If 50% of the food waste generated each year in the U.S. was anaerobically digested, enough electricity would be generated to power over 2.5 million homes for a year.

~EPA

Using biogas for 1% of the peak demand for power generation in Ontario translates into 500 jobs and 1.6 billion dollar reductions in fertilizer costs over 20 years.

~Agrienergy Producers of Ontario

Closing the Organic Loop and Source Separated Organics (SSO)

BioCycle (website) All you need to know about composting, renewable energy and organics recycling.
Bloom, J. “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It)” (book – 2010) Jonathan Bloom’s easy-to-read chronicle of food waste. Lots of great statistics and references.
Braungart, M., McDonough, W. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (book – 2002) Braungart and McDonough’s environmental manifesto that reinvents how we think about material flow and resources.
Brown, S. “Putting the Landfill Energy Myth to Rest,” (article – 2010) BioCycle Vol. 51, No. 5, p. 23 – Sally Brown presents research on “single-use” organics management via landfilling and its impacts on national resources.
CalRecycle: Volume and Weights of Organics (website) A handy reference table with common materials and their average weights.
CALIFORNIA Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board: Proposed Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Pathway for the Production of Biomethane from High Solids Anaerobic Digestion (HSAD) of Organic (Food and Green) Wastes (report – 2012). Presents the results of a life cycle analysis (LCA) performed on the high solids anaerobic digestion modeling including carbon offsets and emissions reductions.
CONNECTICUT (legislation): The organics diversion bill in Connecticut, SB 1081 – An Act Concerning Recycling and Jobs – that was signed by Governor Malloy on June 20, 2013, making it Public Act 13-285. Starting Jan 1, 2014, any commercial generator who produces 104 tons or more of organic waste per year is required to recycle organic material into composting or anaerobic digestion facility if it is within 20 miles from where the waste is generated.
ENERGY VISION (report, 2013) – Turning Waste into Vehicle Fuel: Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), A Step-by-Step Guide for Communities, by Joanna D. Underwood and Matthew P. Tomich
Food Waste – how it is recycled (video 1:21) Cute animated video by RecycleNow in England on how to turn food waste into biogas or compost.
Food Waste Reduction Alliance: Best Practices & Emerging Solutions TOOLKIT (pdf report, Spring 2014 – Vol 1) A joint project by Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association & the National Restaurant Association
Food Tank (organization) The food think tank.
Guide to Greening Cities (book, and companion website) by Sadhu Aufochs Johnston (Deputy City Manager, City of Vancouver), Steven S. Nicholas (Vice President, Institute for Sustainable Communities), and Julia Parzen (Coordinator, Urban Sustainability Directors Network).
Humes, E. “Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash” (book – 2012) Edward Humes investigates the ins and outs of trash.
Kantor, L., Lipton, K., Manchester, A., Oliveria, V. “Estimating and Addressing America’s Food Losses,” (report – 1997) Food Review, Jan.-April 1997, p. 2-12. This report presents the metrics of food wasted and simultaneously chronicles factors that contribute to those loss equations.
Keeping Organics Out of Landfills (article – 2011) USCC’s position on keeping organics out of landfills.
Love Food, Hate Waste (website) A resource WRAP put together on fun, helpful ways to reduce food waste and save money. Tailored for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Includes tips on “savvy storage” and “portion planning”.
MASSACHUSETTS (legislation): Mass.gov Proposed Ban on Disposal of Commercial Organic Material Includes proposed ban and information on pubic comment period. If passed the ban would apply to commercial generators disposing of more than one ton of organic material per week and be implemented in July 2014.
MASSACHUSETTS (vision): Mass.gov Solid Waste Master Plan, 2010-2020. Calls for raising the state’s diversion rate to 64 percent by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050.
National Waste & Recycling Association: Survey finds most Americans would compost if it was more convenient in their community. January 2014.
Organics Operating System™ (flash animation) An easy-to-digest flash animation by Harvest of how organics get turned into clean energy and compost, and all the interlocking benefits.
REPORT (2014): Buzby, Jean C., Wells, Hodan Farah, and Hyman, Jeffrey. “The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States” USDA, Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-121) 39 pp, February 2014. Exploration of how “in the United States 31 percent — or 133 billion pounds — of the 430 billion pounds of the available food supply at the retail and consumer levels in 2010 went eaten”
REPORT (2012): Gunders, D. “Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill” NRDC Issue Paper IP: 12-06-B NRDC presents the data and findings of how the US wastes 40 percent of the food that it grows.
REPORT (2009): “The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact” Hall KD, Guo J, Dore M, Chow CC (2009) The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact. Research that presents the environmental impacts of food waste.
Rogers, H. “Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage” (book – 2005) Heather Rogers explores the impacts of trash on our culture and lifestyle, and vice versa.
Royte, E. “Garbageland: On the Secret Trail of Trash” (book – 2005) Elizabeth Royte’s exploration of garbage from her apartment in Brooklyn to its end destination.
Sager, Ira, “Living in the United States of Food Waste,” (article – 2010) Bloomberg Businessweek special report with helpful links to additional resources on food waste.
Stuart, Tristam (thought leader) Awarded the Sophie Prize 2011 for work on solving teh global food waste scandal. Includes talks, statistics, and resources.
Think • Eat • Save (website) Explores how to “reduce your foodprint”
United Nations: Food And Agriculture Organization, “Global food losses and food waste: Extent, causes and prevention.“ (report – 2011) Roughly one-third of food produced fro human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year.
USDA’s Food Distribution Programs (website) Links to resources on food recovery programs for businesses, community-based organizations, private citizens and local governments.
US EPA: Food Waste Basics (website) Provides great references including a food waste calculator, a food bank locator, and guides for business recycling.
Wasted Food (blog) The intrepid food waste expert and author of “American Wasteland” – Jonathan Bloom – chronicles developments on the food waste front.

Clean Energy, Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas

American Biogas Council (website) The go-to resource for all things related to biogas.
Biogas Opportunities Roadmap (FACTSHEET, News Release; USDA, DOE, and EPA) The summary: the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap builds on progress made to date to identify voluntary actions that can be taken to reduce methane emissions through the use of biogas systems and outlines strategies to overcome barriers limiting further expansion and development of a robust biogas industry in the United States.
- Biogas Opportunities Roadmap (PDF)
Biogas in the United States (pdf report, Feb 2014): An Assessment of Market Potential in a Carbon-Constrained Future, by Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke University, Brian C. Murray, Christopher S. Galik, and Tibor Vegh,
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions: Anaerobic Digesters (website) – Great reference with metrics on the burgeoning biogas industry in Europe.
California Biomass Facilities Reporting System (website) A statewide collaboration to enhance the sustainable management and development of biomass in California.
California Energy Commission (website) California’s energy policy and planning agency.
EPA – Pacific Southwest, Region 9 (website) Great facts and applications specific to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
Gerardi, Michael H. “The Microbiology of Anaerobic Digesters” (book, 2003) Wastewater Microbiology Series – A practical, how-to guide for wastewater plant operators.
MacKay, D. “Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air” (book, article) Terrific resource for anyone wanting to wrap their heads around energy and metrics.
Renewable Energy in the 50 States, by ACORE (report, 2012) American Council on Renewable Energy provides key developments that have shaped the renewable energy landscape in each state, including information on installed and planned capacity, markets, economic development, resource potential and policy.
Solanki, C.S. “Renewable Energy Technologies: A Practical Guide for Beginners” (book, 2008) Good reference. Sometimes hard to get a copy.
Young, G. “Municipal Solid Waste to Energy Conversion Processes: Economic, Technical, and Renewable Comparisons” (book, 2010) A technical and economic review of emerging waste disposal technologies.

Compost, Gardening, and Soil Revitalization

Compost, Soil, and Gardening

Appelhof, M. “Worms Eat My Garbage” 2^nd Ed. (book, 2006) Every home that likes soil and worms needs this on their shelf.
Bartholomew, M. “Square Food Gardening” (book and others, 2006) Great gardening references in step-by-step, foot-by-foot format.
Coleman, E. “The New Organic Grower” (book – 1995) The go-to reference for the home and market gardener.
Coleman, E. “Four Season Harvest” (book – 1999) Lean how to grow organic vegetables from your home garden all year long.
Coleman, E. “The Winter Harvest Handbook” (book – 2009) Learn how to produce vegetables year-long using deep organic techniques and unheated greenhouses.
Compostory Learning Center (website) Online learning about Compost.
Damrosch, B. “The Garden Primer” (book – 2008). The one-volume reference guide to gardening simply, beautifully, and well. Includes the basics of landscaping and over 500 illustrations.
Damrosch, B. “Theme Gardens,” (book – 2001) Barbara Damrosch show you how to plan, plant and grow sixteen gorgeous garden designs.
Danks, S. “Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation” (book, 2010) – compelling color guidebook for designing and building natural schoolyard environments.
Flores, H.C. “Food Not Lawns,” (book – 2006) Shares a nine-step permaculture design to build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat. Great for farmsteads and city dwellers.
Jeavons, J. “How to Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine” (book, 2005) – The quintessential reference on sustainable gardening.
Kellogg, C. “Our Garden Soils” (book, 1952) – Resource by the same author of The Soils That Support Us.
Let’s Talk About Soil, (video 5:21) IASS Vimeo Channel, globalsoilweek.org Great summary of our soil and its role on our planet.
McGee, R., Stuckey, M. “The Bountiful Container,” (book – 2002) Great reference for growing in containers.
Radio Disney (podcast 7:36) “Backyard Composting” Creative dialogue explains how breakfast scraps can be turned into power and soil.
Ruppenthal, R.J. “Fresh Food From Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting” (book – 2009) Great suggestions for urban gardeners faced with challenges of lack of space and light.
Urban Design Lab | The Earth Institute | Columbia University, “The Potential for Urban Agriculture in New York City: Growing Capacity, Food Security and Green Infrastructure” (report – 2012). Beautiful presentation with narrative, maps and charts of the intersection of urban gardening, food security, obesity, lower costs, improving water, reducing crime, soil remediation opportunities, energy benefits of rooftop agriculture, and how to build community.

Harvest Podcasts

Harvest Power Podcasts

WGBH, Boston Public Radio (podcast 14:10) “Food Waste with Corby Kummer,” Corby Kummer, Senior Editor at The Atlantic and renowned food critic catches up with hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan.
Nature of Business (podcast 27:42) “Interview with Paul Sellew,” Chrissy Coughlin catches up with Harvest Power 4/2012.
CBS Boston, WBZ (podcast 1:12) “Interview with CEO Paul Sellew on Massachusetts’ New Clean Energy Results Program,” New England Business with Anthony Silva discuss new regulations around food waste, 11/2011.
Radio Green Talk (podcast 48:57) “Interview with Paul Sellew,” Diana Dehm and Chrissy Coughlin learn more about Harvest Power, 5/2011.

References

Closing the Organic Loop and Source Separated Organics (SSO)

Clean Energy, Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas

Compost, Soil, and Gardening

Harvest Power Podcasts

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