POWER – Accomplished
In 2009 POWER – Perishable Organics Waste to Energy Recycling – was formed to address the emerging technologies for commercial food waste destinations. Founded within the Green Foodservice Alliance, POWER moved to Ei upon incorporation in February 2010 .
Industry leaders traveled from across the nation to engage in the formation of an emerging industry. Presentations ran the gamut from windrow | aerated-static-pile composting, anaerobic digestion, plasma, soldier flies to bio-char programs for commercial food waste destinations. In addition, complementary industry topics were discussed as well as addressing end markets and related economic viability.
The final POWER meeting was hosted in January 2012 via a session at the annual U.S. Composting Council. As the food-waste-destination industry matured, the POWER meetings served as a platform to catapult an emerging industry into an established industry. Mission Accomplished!
Below is the original POWER website page copy including the formal mission statement.
Collaboration is one of the keys to Ei’s success. Ei Strategic Partners contribute their expertise and industry connections to maximize the impact of Ei initiatives.
POWER Mission: To explore and evaluate the highest good collection, recycling, and use of perishable organics and make recommendations for deployment of economically viable projects within a defined geographic region
POWER meetings include presentations by industry experts on options for use of perishable organics, collection systems available, and challenges faced in current projects.
Lively dialogue among participants is encouraged for maximum exploration and collaborative efforts. POWER members include professionals from government, non-profits, trade associations, universities, research institutes and private enterprise.
Working in conjunction with the Zero Waste Zones Team, the immediate POWER focus is creating a strong infrastructure within the foodservice industry for clean source separation and efficient food-residual collection for composting or waste-to-energy facilities.
Roadblocks to creating economically viable ventures include:
- Availability of permitted facilities for perishable organic composting and other options.
- Collection system infrastructure.
- Feedstock contamination at the source, whether consumer or commercial.
The roadblocks are addressed at meetings along with emerging technology and solutions for diverting perishable organics from landfills.
POWER meets twice per year to report the action taken by the POWER Steering Committee along with new technologies available for perishable organics.
POWER meeting agendas, participants, notes and presentations are available for download in the below annual meeting listing.
POWER Meeting Notes, Agendas & PPTs
JANUARY 18, 2012
The POWER meeting was a session at the U.S. Composting Council Annual Conference held in Austin, TX.
POWER Agenda (65 KB)
PRESENTATIONS
Scott Seydel POWER Overview (431 KB)
Chris Moyer NRA -ZWZ-Ei Partnership (9996 KB)
Doug Kunnemann / Holy Elmore SFCI Update (662 KB)
Brenda Platt Sustainable Foodservice Packaging(9449 KB)
Chris Moyer – Importance of Industry Collaboration (1048 KB)
Wayne King – The Soil Water Connection (13032 KB)
ZWZ Blog post, USCC 20th Annual Conference – STELLAR!, gives an overview to the POWER meeting.
The Ei FB album, USCC Conference – Austin, TX, is a pictorial recap.
JANUARY 24, 2011 MEETING
- Meeting Agenda
January 2011 Power Meeting Agenda (103 KB) - Meeting Participants
January 2011 Power Meeting Participants (42 KB) - Meeting Notes
January 2011 Power Meeting Notes(131 KB)
PRESENTATIONS
- Sustainable Food Court Initiative Update ~ Doug Kunnemann, SFCI Chair, Business Segment Director, NatureWorks
Sustainable Food Court Initiative Update Presentation (101 KB) - Organics Recovery and Biobased Materials: Opportunities for Corporate Involvement ~ Brenda Platt, Co-Director, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Co-Chair, Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative, Co-Chair, DC region Organics Task Force
Organics Recovery and Biobased Materials Presentation(3633 KB) - Mobilizing the Foodservice Industry to Embrace Organics Collection ~ Chris Moyer, Project Director, National Restaurant Association Conserve Program & Holly Elmore
Zero Waste Zones: Mobilizing an Industry Presentation (6059 KB)
APRIL 22, 2011
- Meeting Agenda
April 2011 POWER Agenda (160 KB) - Meeting Participants
April 2011 POWER Participants (41 KB) - Meeting Notes
April 2011 POWER Meeting Notes (48 KB)
PRESENTATIONS
- POWER Overview – 2011 (6387 KB)
- Bio‐Char: How an Ancient Practice Works with Modern Technology (3827 KB)
- GREASE – Grease Recycling and Energy Alternative Solutions for the Environment – Introduction (88 KB)
- Viable End Markets for Compost (26686 KB)
- Obtaining an Anaerobic Digestion Permit: Challenges on the Path to Success (1307 KB)
APRIL 1, 2010
- Agenda
POWER April 1, 2010 Agenda (0 KB) - Meeting Participants
Meeting Participants (31 KB) - Meeting Notes
POWER Meeting Notes (4/1/10) (37 KB)
PRESENTATIONS:
- Challenges in Perishable Organic Collection ~ John Casagrande, Waste Management
- Commercial Use of Compost ~ Britt Faucette, Ph.D, filtrexx
- Organics to Fertilizer ~ Jack Walsdorf, Converted Organics
Converted Organics (7714 KB)
OCTOBER 22, 2009
- Diana Trettin, Sustainability Division of the GA Department of Natural Resources on Why POWER meetings are important.
THE WHY ~ Sustainability Division of the Dept of Natural Resources (1103 KB) - Tim Lesko, Greenco Environmental, presented on traditional windrow composting operations.
Traditional Composting, Greenco Environmental (8290 KB) - Paul Sellew and Kate Wattson, Harvest Power, presented on anaerobic digestion systems.
HSAD – Harvest Power (1719 KB) - Hilburn Hillestad, Ph.D, Geoplasma, presented on plasma arc gas conversion systems.
GeoplasmaPOWEROct09 (5532 KB)
DECEMBER 17, 2009
- Doug Kunnemann, NatureWorks, presented on compostable products.
Nature Works: Ingeo (1710 KB) - Craig Sheppard Ph.D, Insect Science Resource, presented on a soldier fly solution for farm animal waste.
University of Georgia: Black Soldier Flies(28575 KB) - Plasma Gasification Systems ~ Terry Moore, Plasma Waste Recycling and Rich Sloan, Fwd: Power
Plasma Gasification Systems (1550 KB)