Pennsylvania organics company Turning Earth plans to build, own, and operate a first-of-its-kind food recycling facility in central Connecticut, starting in late 2014.
Turning Earth will partner with waste management firm Covanta Energy under a 10-year agreement to provide food waste for the facility.
The food recycling plant can convert the waste into a number of uses, the main two being using the decomposing food to generate renewable energy or converting it to compost for fertilizer.
Developing an anaerobic digester plant has been an important part of the Connecticut’s waste management program for the past two years, and the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection has been working with both waste management firms and organics companies to make it happen.
“This is exactly the approach needed to drive down solid waste disposal costs and make more appropriate use of resources,” said DEEP Deputy Commissioner Macky McCleary.
The Turning Earth-Covanta plant will be the first in Connecticut under this new effort.
Turning Earth plans to begin site selection in the latter half of 2014, along with permits and procuring the organic waste.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
