Denali, the nation’s leading full-service organic recycling company, announced that it has processed and recycled more than 1.4 billion pounds of food waste into compost, animal feed, energy, and fertilizer since 2022, and more than 2.6 billion pounds since 2021. The milestone was announced as part of the company’s 2022 ESG report. By diverting and turning this food destined for the landfill into valuable products, Denali has helped partners to collectively save more than 500,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the past two years. Based on the U.S. EPA’s calculation tools, this is equivalent to keeping approximately 100,000 cars off the road for one year or providing electricity to more than 60,000 homes for one year.
The milestone showcases Denali’s significant role in organics waste diversion across the nation. Working with grocery stores, cities, and farmers from California to New England, Denali fulfills its mission to, “Replenish the Earth by Repurposing Waste,” in ways that are both economically and environmentally responsible. In addition to food waste, Denali recycles more than 10 billion pounds of materials from food processing facilities and wastewater treatment plants annually. As noted in the 2022 ESG report, the company also converted used cooking oil into about 8 million gallons of biodiesel last year.
“Sustainability remains central to who we are,” said Denali CEO Todd Mathes. “Denali continues to demonstrate that innovative, sustainable solutions can be cost effective and efficient for customers, from commercial businesses to public municipalities.” In recent years, Denali has enhanced its sustainability reporting and initiatives. This year, the company completed its first materiality analysis, which guided its ESG reporting, and conducted the first greenhouse gas inventory of its operations. Denali added a solar array to power one of its largest facilities, enabled the City of Phoenix to host a zero-waste Super Bowl with depackaging, and acquired firms to become a major player in Calfornia, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. “Two billion pounds of food waste diverted to animal feed, energy and fertilizer means we are that much closer to delivering on the circular economy,” said Denali’s Vice President of Sustainability and Business Solutions Kate Worley.