On a mission to Protect the Value of Food, Divert has inaugurated its 66,000 sq ft Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Longview, Washington. The facility will have the capacity to process 100,000 tons of wasted food a year from Washington and Oregon into carbon-negative energy. Divert predicts the facility will help the region reduce wasted food and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Leveraging 16 years of leadership and knowledge in the industry, our company is eager to support businesses across Washington and Oregon in preventing waste and complying with food waste legislation,” said Ryan Begin, Divert DCEO and Co-Founder. “This is an important moment for Divert and the Pacific Northwest in driving transformative change for the industry and solidifying our commitment to a waste-free world.”
While Washington generates more than 2.7 million tons of wasted food annually, of which approximately one million goes to landfill and 47% is edible, 1.11 million tons of wasted food were generated in Oregon in 2021, with about 30% in landfill.
The facility will not only help Pacific Northwest commercial waste generators and local jurisdictions comply with Washington’s HB 1799 legislation and Organics Management Law, as well as Oregon Metro’s Food Scraps Policy, but also accept wasted food from:
- Retail food customers
- Agricultural food producers
- Industrial food manufacturers
- Local jurisdictions
- Restaurants
- Food service, institutional, or commercial waste generators
The facility will also provide companies with actionable data to take preventative steps to waste less and donate more edible food. It will utilize Divert’s proprietary depackaging process and anaerobic digestion to transform waste from retailers and other companies into carbon-negative renewable energy, preventing methane emissions in landfills.
The facility, expected to be operational in 2024, will be able to offset up to 23,000 metric tons of CO2 a year at full processing capacity, equivalent to removing 5,000 gas-powered cars from the road annually.
“I believe that Divert fits what Longview’s founder Robert A. Long envisioned 100 years ago by supporting economic growth and adding nearly 40 new jobs, and attracting innovative businesses that accelerate our carbon reduction and renewable energy goals,” said MaryAlice Wallis, Mayor of Longview.
Divert and Enbridge are expected to invest nearly $100 million in the project and the local economy.
The facility enables Divert to expand to 30 facilities across the U.S. to be within 100 miles of 80 percent of the population by 2031.
