Recology Ostrom Organics was recognized with the Organics Management Facility of the Year Award by the National Waste & Recycling Association. The award recognizes Recology for leading the industry in diverting compostable materials from landfills, and inspiring other companies to follow suit. Recology pioneered curbside food scrap collection for composting in North America and owns and operates eight composting facilities on the West Coast.
Located in Northern California, Recology Ostrom Organics (ROO) has processed more than 136,000 tons of compostable material since it opened in November 2020. The facility also utilizes landfill gas from Recology’s Ostrom Road Landfill to generate renewable energy and power all onsite electrical equipment and lighting.
ROO is a critical component of the processing capacity needed to support municipalities as they work to comply with SB 1383, a landmark environmental measure requiring municipalities in the state to divert at least 75 percent of all compostable discards from landfills. At full build-out, ROO will accept 2,000 tons of compostable material per day.
“Recology and the cities we serve are leading the nation in composting,” said Recology CEO Sal Coniglio. “It’s an honor to have Recology Ostrom Organics recognized as a model facility. We hope to inspire other communities across the country as they take vital steps needed to address the climate crisis by diverting compostable materials from landfills.”
More than 300 cities have implemented citywide curbside food scrap collection for composting since Recology and the city of San Francisco launched the movement in 1996. In January of this year, the City of Los Angeles made curbside food scraps collection mandatory for all properties; New York City followed suit in June.
ROO uses an aerated static pile processing technology with a mass bed configuration. The finished compost created at ROO is listed by the Organics Material Review Institute (OMRI) as approved for use on organic soils. Applying high-quality compost helps local farms grow more healthy food and save water.