POWER Meeting @ USCC Conference

The POWER presenting team

For the second consecutive year, a POWER - Perishable Organics Waste to Energy Recycling - session was included in the 2012 U.S. Composting Council Conference program.  In 2011 the POWER meeting was part of the pre-conference activities and in 2012 was a formal conference program session.


Deviating from the usual organics technology presentations, the January 18 POWER session focused on the National Restaurant Association's participation in educating the foodservice industry on diverting post-consumer organics from the landfill.  The NRA intends to provide educational support necessary to minimize contamination and ensure organics go to the highest good use, based on the community's economic parameters and available options.

Chris Moyer @ the podium

Chris Moyer, NRA ConServe Program Director, lead two segments of the POWER meeting with excellent skill in communicating the important message.  Note the NRA was an USCC Conference sponsor, validating their support of developing a strong organics destination network throughout the nation.

Brenda Platt with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance presented on the integral role foodservice packaging plays in creating viable organics collection programs in the foodservice industry.  As the Sustainable Food Court Initiative Co-Chair, Doug Kunnemann of NatureWorks gave a SFCI overview and Holly Elmore, Elemental Impact founder, gave an update on SFCI Pilots at the Atlanta Airport and soon-to-announced pilot in Charlotte, NC.

Brenda Platt presenting

Grounding the POWER session with the WHY our work is imperative, Wayne King - Past USCC President & ERTH Products owner - presented on the soil and water connection.  Our prominent leader, Scott Seydel - Ei chair & Global Green chair - began the POWER meeting with a synoposis of the NRA | Ei | Zero Waste Zones relationships and wrapped up the session with closing comments.

2012 holds promise of embarking on a new era in the disposition of post-consumer organics generated in the foodservice industry.  The potential is monumental to our air quality with the elimination of new methane generators in landfills and to our soil | water.  Nature created a miraculous microbial system that builds healthy, well-structured, aerated soil that retains and filters water by feeding the microbes nutrients within compost. Food residuals are a key nitrogen ingredient to the compost recipe.

Wayne Kin g

The Ei FB album, 01-18-12 POWER Meeting @ USCC Conference, includes pictures from the POWER meeting. For an overview of the USCC Composting Facilities Tour of local Austin operations, see the ZWZ Blog, The Nitty Gritty on Composting Operations. and the Ei FB album, 01-17-12 USCC Composting Facilities Tour, for the pictorial recap.  Session PPT presentations may be downloaded on the 2012 POWER Meetings page.

These are exciting and paramount times to participate in the shifting paradigms.  Thank you for joining us on the journey.