In November, city residents will be able to take organic food waste to a facility on Doran Avenue and receive a free quantity of enriched soil. That’s the dream of Jacob Fox, a Hobart College graduate and owner and CEO of Renewable Waste Solutions Inc. on North Genesee Street. In a report to City Council Oct. 7, Fox said he has received county and state grants to pay for construction of the facility, which will be near the city’s wastewater treatment plant. It will have organic waste deposited into a walled, concrete area where worms will be added to convert the organic material into a compost-like material that serves to enrich soil through a process called vermiculture.
“Organics are 54% of the waste stream, and the state is moving toward banning food waste from landfills,” Fox said. “There is some 2 tons of organic waste put into the Ontario County Landfill not far from here each week, and that is a major cause of the odor. The city has established a Resource Recovery Park, the first in the area, toward a goal of zero organic waste.”
The facility was first proposed in 2017, and Fox said it took time to secure funding for the project and begin construction. He said it will employ at least four people and possibly up to 16.