Food scraps, along with leaf and yard wastes fall into the "organic waste" category. In the United States, organic waste accounts for nearly 80 million tons of the total solid waste stream. While this organic waste comprises much of our waste stream, it is also energy-rich and can provide extraordinary benefits to the environment and help in the creation of alternative energies, especially in light of emerging technologies in the waste industry.

Much of the organic material recycled today is done so via composting. The market for compost, mulch and organic soil amendments is growing as consumers are increasingly demanding alternatives to conventional fertilizers for lawn and garden care, and as municipalities and companies are seeking to increase the recycling of organic materials for beneficial use. In fact, organic compost is considered a part of the green retail market, which has been growing at 20 percent annually in the United States.

A more advanced technology, anaerobic digestion, accelerates the decomposition of organic materials and can convert food and other organic waste into heat and power. This process also throws off a solid residue, which too can be added to compost to extract the most value. There is also the chemical conversion of organics whereby new technologies are being developed to convert organics residuals into low-carbon, high-quality transportation fuels.

Both composting and anaerobic digestion are used today in organics recycling. However, more advanced technologies are just around the corner. At the highest end of the value chain are processes that utilize gasification and fermentation technologies to convert organic waste to biofuels or chemicals. As countries look to reduce their dependence on foreign oil, the opportunity to create fuels from renewable sources, such as the high volume of organic waste in various countries, becomes all the more valuable.

(Source: What Happens to Your Organic Waste? [Earth & Industry])