News Releases from Region 09

MEDIA ADVISORY: EPA Recognizes Modesto’s Crystal Creamery for Zero Waste Innovation

EPA officials will tour farm and anaerobic digester turning wasted food into renewable energy

SAN FRANCISCO – On Tuesday, January 10, U.S. EPA will honor Crystal Creamery with the Food Recovery Challenge National Innovation Award at the dairy processing plant in Modesto, Calif. As part of EPA's Food Recovery Challenge, organizations pledge to improve their sustainable food management practices and report their results. Crystal Creamery aims to achieve zero waste by 2020 and currently diverts over 98 percent of materials from landfills through reuse, recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion.

Crystal Creamery has partnered with Fiscalini Farms, a nearby farm with anaerobic digesters, to process its wastewater by-product along with manure and other dairy by-products into electricity. After the award ceremony, officials will tour Fiscalini Farm’s state-of-the-art anaerobic digester facility where digesters use bacteria to break down manure and dairy by-products into methane biogas to generate renewable energy, fertilizer, and bedding for livestock at local farms. The anaerobic digesters, operated by Organic Solution Management LLC, can process and compost 200 tons per day of waste and produce 1 megawatt.

WHO:
Zoe Heller, U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest Region
Tiffany Hooser, Sustainability and Environmental Program Manager, Crystal Creamery
John Brenan, Vice President of Technology, Organic Solution Management LLC

WHEN: 
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Time: 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: 
The EPA Crystal Creamery Award Ceremony will be held at Solid Networks: 5686 Pirrone Road, Salida, CA 95368
Following the award ceremony and media availability, press is invited to attend optional tour of the nearby anaerobic digestion facility.

WHAT: 
Award ceremony recognizing Crystal Creamery as recipient of EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge awards followed by media availability.
Press can attend optional tour of Fiscalini Farm’s nearby anaerobic digestion facility.

VISUALS: 
Two anaerobic digesters where all of the organics are moved; engines where energy is generated from organics; pipe room where methane biogas from organics is piped to energy equipment; deodorizing equipment and compost; animal bedding.

MEDIA KIT: /pacific-southwest-media-center/epa-honors-crystal-creamery-food-recovery-and-zero-waste-leadership

RSVP: Credentialed press who would like to attend this event, please contact Soledad Calvino, Calvino.Maria@epa.gov, 415-972-3512

WHY: 
Food is too good to waste! Unfortunately, we throw away more food than anything else at our homes and workplaces. The total value of food loss at the retail and consumer levels is estimated to be over $161 billion per year. More than 37 million tons of food waste is generated annually in the United States. Of that total, 95 percent went to landfills and incinerators and only about 5 percent was composted. Reducing wasted food also helps address climate change, because 20 percent of total U.S. methane emissions come from landfills.

For more information on the Food Recovery Challenge, please visit: /sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-frc

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