Dane County is expanding its composting services under a spate of new programs designed to bolster its sustainability initiatives and reduce waste.
Funded by a United States Department of Agriculture grant (USDA), the county will expand community drop-off kiosks for food waste, building on a composting program announced in late January.
The five-year compost program, a collaboration between Dane County and Purple Cow Organics, a local organic compost provider, is projected to accept roughly 22,000 tons of yard waste and 1.2 million pounds of food waste per year, according to a Jan 23. press release. These numbers could grow with increased program participation after its 2024 pilot year.
This program provided the needed capacity for food waste composting the USDA-funded kiosks rely on, the county said.
“This new compost program opens up a great avenue for residents and businesses in the county to start recycling food waste,” Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said last month. “It’s an excellent way for residents to help reduce greenhouse gases and adds to our nationally recognized climate initiatives that work to build a cleaner, greener tomorrow.”
Under the plan, Purple Cow Organics will receive the county’s waste and handle the compost process to integrate the byproduct in their products. The county heralded the agreement as a “significant step” in its commitment to the environment and community engagement in a January statement.
Alex Thomas, the carbon offset program manager at the Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables, told The Daily Cardinal the county’s current policy backs efforts to divert food waste. However, the program has historically been unable to facilitate routes for waste diversion.
Thomas said the new agreement establishes waste diversion opportunities.
“This partnership is going to allow Dane County to start taking organic waste, yard waste, and food waste for the first time in a long time,” Thomas said. “[Its] going to further the county’s climate goals and provide a sustainable diversion route so that food waste and yard waste don’t end up in the landfill.”
With less than five years of landfill space remaining at Rodefeld Landfill, the County outlined a “Sustainability Campus” plan last summer. The plan, still in its preparation phase, includes a new site that would divert waste, foster recycling businesses and provide education around responsible waste management.
The compost program enables Dane County to divert food and organic waste years ahead of the sustainability campus completion, which Thomas said would streamline the transition as Rodefeld’s five-year lifespan is “stretch[ed] as long as humanly possible.”
Programs part of larger sustainability efforts
The kiosks, funded through a $400,000 United States Department of Agriculture grant, are part of federal efforts to invest in composting and food waste reduction projects across the country. The Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables (DWR) was among three Wisconsin recipients.
The grant also covers funding for the DWR to increase education and outreach to local municipalities, businesses and organizations to develop food waste solutions.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Dane County by expanding food scrap recycling opportunities for our residents,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “Thanks to this grant, we look forward to seeing even greater access to composting for our community in the coming years.”
These efforts align with Dane County’s climate goals. Madison, which was ranked among the most sustainable Midwest cities, has an established food waste drop-off program at summer farmers markets. The federal funding enables the DWR to expand drop-off locations in communities neighboring Madison.
The county said the composting program would provide needed “stability and certainty” for local municipalities to evaluate their own food waste collection possibilities.
Dane County is also partnering with the city of Madison to accept their yard and leaf waste collections, according to the release.
Dane County’s drive to develop a new composting plan received proposals from various partners but ultimately settled on Purple Cow due to its proximity to the landfill and the strength of its existing operations, according to Thomas. He said Purple Cow’s proposal did not require Dane County to develop a new composting site and instead relies on existing infrastructure.
Purple Cow Organics, which the county touted as a “regional expert and resource for composting,” said they were looking forward to working with Dane County and making food waste diversion a reality.
The program, which runs until 2029, could be extended if the county chooses. In addition, its food waste capacity could be increased if more participants sign on, Thomas said.
“Anybody who has an organics contract or hauling business, or any municipality that wants to divert food waste, if they can collect it or we can work together to collect it and store the material, this outlet will be available for them,” Thomas said.
Gavin Escott is the Campus News Editor for the Daily Cardinal. Throughout his time at the Cardinal, he's covered protests, breaking news, and written in-depth features on Wisconsin politics and higher education. He is the former producer of the Cardinal Call podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @gav_escott.
