White Castle has started a pilot program in its hometown of Columbus, Ohio, that composts all food and paper scraps. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the company began composting in the fall at its corporate headquarters and added the program to six area restaurants in December.
The program is facilitated through Ohio Mulch, which takes food waste and turns it into a new garden soil product called Green Envy.
In addition to food scraps, hamburger boxes, towels, coffee filters and grounds are added to the composting piles. As part of the program, the company has separate trash cans for waste and for compostable items. The adaption has been easier than expected, according to the story.
Shannon Tolliver, social responsibility and environmental sustainability manager at White Castle, told the Dispatch that the effort so far has reduced each restaurant's trash bill and has also reduced the frequency of trash pickup.
"As a company, we're always looking into cost-effective ways to reduce our waste. This is the way the culture is moving, and we want to be at the front end of the curve," Tolliver said.
The trial is six months long. Upon its conclusion, White Castle will either expand the program throughout Central Ohio or test in other markets.
Food scraps are the No. 1 material in landfills.
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