Last year, more than 200,000 tons of waste went into Gallatin County’s landfill. As much as 20 percent of that likely could have been composted. That could be about to change.
Gallatin County is expanding its composting operations at Logan Landfill to include food waste and biosolids. According to national averages and a waste audit, that could keep an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 tons of waste out of the ground.
The new project will produce compost for local agricultural producers. It’s made possible by a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The grant will also allow The Human Resource Development Council - HRDC - to expand its food rescue operation. The organization collects usable food from grocery stores, farms, and bakeries to redistribute to the community.
In 2022, HRDC rescued more than 730,000 pounds of food. The grant will allow it to expand its food rescue operation to include restaurants and more farms - an estimated 100,000 additional pounds of food each year.
The Gallatin Solid Waste Management District owns and operates Gallatin County’s landfill and is building a Covered Aerated Static Pile, also known as a compost pile, at Logan Landfill. The site is slated to begin composting food waste next spring.
