At the December 20, 2022 City Council meeting the Manteca City Council approved a proposal for the installation of a grant-funded F2E/Food Waste Processing Facility THOR Food Separator Project. The grant for the project is funded by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
The Council awarded a $387,762 contract to TNT Industrial Contractors to do the electrical and plumbing work necessary to get the THOR Food Separator Project installed and operational at the Lovelace Transfer Station floor just north of Manteca.
The THOR Food Separator is a top-of-the-line separation system for pre-processing, repackaging and separating organic waste. The Food Waste Processing Facility will utilize the THOR Food Separator to separate items such as containers of liquids, prepackaged goods and mixed commercial food waste in order to properly dispose and reuse the organic waste in Manteca.
The construction of the Food Waste Processing Facility is in cooperation with Senate Bill (SB) 1383 regulations, a statewide effort to reduce emissions of climate-changing pollutants and requires all California cities to reduce organic material waste and rescue surplus food sources to feed Californians facing food insecurity.
Once the THOR Food Separator is operational, the first phase of this project will begin by running commercial food waste through the processor and transferring the filtered organic material to a composting facility. As the compost becomes available, it will be distributed to residents free of charge due to SB 1383 requirements. Residents can use this compost for yard work, landscaping or soil for indoor plants.
The City of Manteca began its organic waste efforts in 2018 with the implementation of the Waste to Fuel program by installing a digester that turns food waste into compressed natural gas for all City-owned waste collection trucks. In addition to continued public outreach and education, the installation of the THOR Food Separator is the City’s next step to fulfill the requirements outlined by SB 1383.
Having organic waste in landfills generates an increased amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This Food Waste Processing Facility will work alongside the City’s Waste to Fuel program to positively impact the environment by reducing carbon emissions.
To learn more information on the City’s organic waste efforts, visit: https://www.manteca.gov/departments/public-works/solid-waste-division/organic-waste