September 5, 2023
The state of Washington generates more than 2.7 million tons of wasted food annually. One million tons of that waste goes to landfills, of which 47% is still edible food.
These staggering numbers were front and center during a roundtable and site visit for the future site of Divert’s new Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Longview, Washington on August 14. Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, community leaders, city officials, and Divert representatives came together to discuss how the facility will benefit the Longview community and the greater Pacific Northwest. In addition to the Senator, local leaders present to voice their support of the project included Longview Mayor MaryAlice Wallis; Kelso Mayor Mike Karnofski; Mike Bridges, President of the Longview Kelso Building and Construction Trades Council; Marnie Farness, Director of Programs, Workforce Southwest Washington; and Ted Sprague, CEO, Cowlitz Economic Development Council.
The Longview facility will have the capacity to process 100,000 tons of wasted food a year and turn it into carbon negative renewable energy. Once fully operational in 2024, it will be able to offset up to 23,000 metric tons of CO2 a year, equivalent to removing 5,000 gas-powered cars from the road.
The Inflation Reduction Act and its 30% Investment Tax Credit, which Senator Cantwell supported and was passed one year ago, have been key in ensuring the facility has been able to move forward. In a press release issued by the Senator’s office on the site visit and roundtable, Sen. Cantwell expressed her support of the project, “I’m so happy we got the expansion of the tax credit and that this project will qualify.”
The facility will be the second Divert Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility to break ground in just the past six months. The facility will enable Pacific Northwest commercial waste generators and local jurisdictions to comply with Washington’s HB 1799 legislation and Organics Management Law, as well as Oregon Metro’s Food Scraps Policy. Wasted food will be accepted from Divert’s existing retail food customers throughout Washington and Oregon, as well as agricultural food producers, industrial food manufacturers, local jurisdictions, restaurants, foodservice, institutional, or commercial waste generators.
Divert’s new facility is slated to break ground in a community event on September 7 and will be fully operational by the end of 2024.
