FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Composting is the simple act of turning organic material back into nutrient-rich soil. Most organic material is currently sent to landfills where it rots and generates methane: one of the most potent greenhouse gases. By composting food scraps, the nutrients stored within are returned to the soil and used to grow more food, instead of clogging up our landfills and contributing to climate change. Composting is hitting the business sector in a big way right now, and in many U.S. cities composting is required by law.
For many business owners, composting is a new idea. So, here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
For many business owners, composting is a new idea. So, here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
1. WHY SHOULD I COMPOST?
Here are three big reasons:
Enforcement of the food waste ban is increasing every month, and if your business does not comply, you will be fined and flagged for noncompliant environmental practices by the MassDEP. If your business is not affected (produces less than one ton of food waste per week), you are not beholden to the ban, although you might still want to compost. Many businesses compost voluntarily, as they can still stand to save money and it's the right thing to do for the environment.
- Save money. By composting food waste, you greatly reduce the amount of material going into your trash dumpster. This means you can reduce the frequency of your trash pickups, and save money. In this way, one supermarket chain cut costs by more than $20,000 per store per year!
- It's the law. If your business produces more than 1 ton of food waste per week, Massachusetts law says you can't throw it away with your trash. Not sure how much you produce? Take our free, 30-second waste assessment. You'll know if you're affected by the ban in 30 seconds (really!). If you are affected, you must divert your food scraps from the trash.
- It's the future. Every year, Massachusetts produces enough food waste to fill 20 Fenway Parks. Our landfills are running out of space, and we can't continue to bury this huge amount of nutrient-rich material. Composting accelerates its breakdown and returns it to nature, helping to grow the trees, gardens, and crops of tomorrow.
Enforcement of the food waste ban is increasing every month, and if your business does not comply, you will be fined and flagged for noncompliant environmental practices by the MassDEP. If your business is not affected (produces less than one ton of food waste per week), you are not beholden to the ban, although you might still want to compost. Many businesses compost voluntarily, as they can still stand to save money and it's the right thing to do for the environment.
2. CAN I REALLY SAVE MONEY BY COMPOSTING WITH CERO?
Yes! Food waste is heavy, and according to the MassDEP, it makes up 65% of the average restaurant and supermarket dumpster in Massachusetts. That's two-thirds of your trash dumpster, filled with compostable materials. CERO charges less than the big trash companies, which means you save money by reducing your trash pickup frequency.
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Here's an example:
Say you pay $1,000 per month for trash pickup. You can divert up to two-thirds of what you're putting in the dumpster to composting, and CERO will pick it up for $300. Now that all the heavy, smelly food waste is out of the trash dumpster, you can reduce your trash pickups down to $500 per month. Add that to the $300 for CERO, and your total monthly cost is $800: a savings of $200 per month and $2,400 per year compared to what you were paying before. |
CERO customers have saved over $200,000 in trash pickup costs since CERO began service in 2014. We are happy to provide customer testimonials upon request.
3. WHAT CAN I PUT IN CERO COMPOST CARTS?
For a complete list of what can and cannot be placed in CERO compost carts, please click here.
4. WHERE DOES CERO TAKE MY FOOD WASTE?
We're so glad you asked. At CERO, we pride ourselves on being the only Boston-area hauler that turns ALL of our organic material back into soil at local farms. Other haulers slurry your food scraps with thickening polymers and other chemicals so that they can be digested along with sewage and wastewater effluent. Although electricity can be generated by burning the methane produced through this process, what's left over afterwards (known as the digestate) is not suitable for agricultural use, thus breaking the age-old cycle of nutrients through the food loop. We can do better!
With CERO, the cycle is simple: all of today's food waste returns to the soil to grow tomorrow's food. The farm that ultimately turns your food scraps into compost will vary based on your location, but feel free to reach out to us and ask!
With CERO, the cycle is simple: all of today's food waste returns to the soil to grow tomorrow's food. The farm that ultimately turns your food scraps into compost will vary based on your location, but feel free to reach out to us and ask!
5. CAN CERO PICK UP FOOD WASTE FROM MY HOUSE?
CERO is optimized for commercial scale compost pickup (supermarkets, schools, restaurants, etc.), and as of now we do not provide residential pickup service. If you are interested in residential compost services, check out our friends at Bootstrap.
6. IS MY BUSINESS WITHIN CERO'S SERVICE AREA?
CERO currently services businesses in the following area. If your location is not within this area, do not fear. Drop us a line and we'll see what we can do!
