| New Technology at Compost Facility Helps Phoenix Divert Food Waste Away From Landfill | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/public-works/2633 | Public Works (Trash and Recycling) | | 1/20/2023 11:00:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/2633/Newsroom_PWD_depackager.jpg | https://youtu.be/kHcC0AxfLQc | New Technology at Compost Facility Helps Phoenix Divert Food Waste Away From Landfill | <div class="ExternalClass03C0BCBF3A4C4327A7A7DCF958878DC3"><html>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">Super Bowl LVII is coming to Arizona, and so are hundreds of thousands of football fans! In the week leading up to the game, visitors at downtown Phoenix Super Bowl events will produce about 2,000 tons of food and packaging waste. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">“We had a green Super Bowl in 2015 but we’ve challenged ourselves to go to the next level," said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">In 2023, Phoenix Public Works is aiming for a Zero Waste Super Bowl. ‘Zero waste’ means diverting a minimum of 90% of waste away from the landfill. One important component of meeting that goal in Phoenix is <a target="_blank" href="/publicworks/garbage/disposable/composting-and-green-organics">composting food waste</a>. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">“Phoenix now has very advanced equipment to help us take out contaminants so that we can produce a higher quality product," Gallego said. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">The state-of-the art food de-packager at the 27th Avenue Compost Facility makes it all possible. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">”It’s able to separate about 95 to 97% of all trash, food waste – anything post-consumer, pre-consumer,” said Oscar Rodriguez, General Manager of Denali, the company that operates Phoenix’s Compost Facility. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">The machine has technology to pull packaging, wrappers, and other trash out of the food waste. Trash comes out one side of the machine and the food waste comes out the other side, ready to begin the composting process. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">“Before we had the opportunity to have this type of machine, it would all essentially go to landfill,” Rodriguez said. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">The de-packager can process about 15 tons of waste in an hour. The food waste is later mixed with green waste. Through the micro-organic process of aerobic respiration, it all breaks down to clean compost over the course of 40 to 60 days. </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">Help us keep this precious resource out of the landfill by separating your food waste from trash and recyclables when you throw things away at Super Bowl events. Phoenix is committed to making this the greenest Super Bowl yet! </span>
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<span style="font-size:13.3333px;">“It’s not a competition, but if it were, we’d be winning!” Gallego said.</span>
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</html></div> | https://phoenix.gov/publicworks | Video | | public-works | | Public Works | | | | #SuperPHX #ZeroWaste @TalkingTrashPHX @CityofPhoenixAZ @AZSuperBowl | Composting, environment, recycling, sustainability | Spencer Blake | 602-501-0620 | | | | spencer.blake@phoenix.gov | | | | | | | | | TalkingTrashPHX | |
