CT's first food recycler gets Southington nod

Hartford Business Journal || May 27, 2014

Southington recycler Quantum Biopower has received approval from the Southington Planning & Zoning committee to put Connecticut's first food recycling and anaerobic digestion facility on 65 acres in the town.

The approval in early May coincides with Quantum landing three key contracts to start receiving food waste from Aqua Turf Club, the Southington Country Club and the Farmington Club in order to power its facilities. The anaerobic digester uses the gas created by the decomposing garbage to generate electricity.

The opening of the facility will be a major win for Connecticut environmental officials who are pushing for a 60 percent state recycling rate by 2024. Processing of food waste is a significant cornerstone of that plan.

A 2011 state law requires all major food waste generators near an organics recycling plant to send their leftover food for processing at the facility. The Southington location can handle food from generators like hospitals, hotels, sporting arenas, grocery stores, and food processors that create waste from expired beverages and packaged foods, produce, fats, and pre- and post-consumer food waste.

Quantum expects the Southington facility to generate enough electricity to power 750 homes per year.

Quantum partnered with trash haulers All Waste and Winters Brothers to tap into their client rosters to route more organics waste to the Southington facility.